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The  Centenary 

of  the 
Battle  of  Plattsburg 


1814  September  11  1914 


At  Plattsburg,  N.  Y. 
September  6  to  11,  1914 


Published  under  the  auspices  of  the 
State  Historian 


Albany 

The  University  of  the  State  of  New  York 
1914 


Prefatory 

IT  seems  fitting  and  proper  that  this  year  the  people 
of  the  Empire  State  should  celebrate  the  valors  of 
the  war  which  gave  us  peace,  particularly  those  of  the 
notable  and  critical  Battle  of  Plattsburg.  That  event  is 
at  once  a  reminder  of  a  glorious  victory  and  the  preface 
of  one  hundred  years  of  peace  with  our  transoceanic 
brethren.  This  publication,  issued  by  direction  of  the 
President  of  The  University  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  under  the  auspices  of  the  Division  of  History  of  the 
University,  aims  to  set  forth  reasons  why  the  State 
should  observe  this  occasion,  and  how  it  is  to  be  done. 

Last  year  the  victory  of  Commodore  Perry  on  the 
Great  Lakes  was  made  the  occasion  of  a  national,  even 
an  international,  celebration.  Important  as  was  this 
victory,  it  was  not  more  so,  nor  were  its  results  more 
far-reaching,  than  that  of  Macdonough  on  the  green 
waters  of  Champlain,  in  1814. 

It  is  in  order  that  New  York  may  the  better  realize 
the  import  of  this  battle,  and  this  magnificent  victory  of 
a  few  determined  Americans,  that  this  celebration  has 
been  planned  and  this  announcement  printed. 

If  a  greater  pride  in  their  heritage,  a  more  patriotic 
spirit,  and  a  more  sincere  devotion  to  the  memories  of 
their  historic  past  shall  be  aroused  in  New  Yorkers  by 
the  centenary,  and  if  this  booklet  shall  in  any  way 
contribute  to  that  result,  the  Division  of  History  will 
feel  its  work  well  done,  and  be  amply  compensated  for 
the  thought,  labor  and  time  devoted  to  this  enterprise. 

JAMES  A.  HOLDEN 

State  Historian  and 
Chief,  Division  of  History 


457903 


Plattsburg  Centenary  Commission 

FRANCIS  LYNDE  STETSON,  Chairman 

15  Broad  street,  New  York  City 
THOMAS  F.  CONWAY,  Vice  Chairman 

32  Nassau  street,  New  York  City 
JAMES  A.  FOLEY,  Chairman  Executive  Committee 

261  Broadway,  New  York  City 
LOREN  H.  WHITE,  Treasurer 

Delanson,  N.  Y. 
CHARLES  J.  VERT,  Secretary 

Plattsburg  N.  Y. 
REV.  JOHN  P.  CHIDWICK,  D.  D. 

St  Joseph's  Seminary,  Yonkers,  N.  Y. 
SALVATORE  A.  COTILLO 

273  Pleasant  avenue,  New  York  City 
JOHN  DORST,  JR 

Akron,  N.  Y. 
JAMES  A.  EMERSON 

Warrensburg,  N.  Y. 
JOSEPH  H.  ESQUIROL 

25  Crooke  avenue,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
ALEXANDER  W.  FAIRBANK  M.  D. 

Chazy,  N.  Y. 
IRVING  I.  GOLDSMITH 

Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y. 
JOHN  F.  HEALY 

New  Rochelle,  N.  Y. 
HENRY  W.  HILL 

906  Mutual  Life  building,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 
HENRY  HARMON  NOBLE 

Essex,  N.  Y. 
FRANKLIN  D.  ROOSEVELT,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy 

Washington,  D.  C. 
HENRY  M.  SAGE 

Menands,  N.  Y. 
FREDERICK  E.  WADHAMS 

37  Tweddle  building,  Albany,  N.  Y. 


HOWARD  D.  HADLEY,  Assistant  Secretary 
Plattsburg,  N.  Y. 


The   Movement  for  Centennial   Observance 


M 


ARCH  28,  1912  the  State  Senate  adopted  the 
following  resolution,  offered  by  Senator  Franklin 
D.  Roosevelt: 


Resolved  (if  the  Assembly  concur),  That  a  committee  of  four  be 
appointed,  consisting  of  two  senators,  to  be  appointed  by  the  Pres 
ident  of  the  Senate,  and  two  members  of  the  Assembly,  to  be 
appointed  by  the  Speaker  of  the  Assembly,  to  consider  the  cele 
bration  of  the  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  Battle  of  Plattsburg, 
both  on  land  and  on  Lake  Champlain.  That  such  committee  report 
to  the  Legislature  on  or  before  the  1 5th  day  of  January  1913,  regard 
ing  suitable  plans  and  arrangements  for  the  celebration  and  com 
memoration  of  said  battle.  That  the  actual  and  necessary  expenses 
of  said  committee  in  carrying  out  the  provisions  of  this  resolution, 
not  exceeding  the  sum  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  shall  be  paid  from 
the  contingent  fund  of  the  Legislature  on  the  warrant  of  the  Comp 
troller  and  a  certificate  of  the  chairman  of  the  committee. 

The  Assembly  concurring,  four  members  of  the  Legis 
lature  were  appointed,  namely,  Senators  Franklin  D. 
Roosevelt  and  James  A.  Emerson,  Assemblymen  Spencer 
G.  Prime  and  Charles  J.  Vert.  March  12,  1913  the 
committee  submitted  a  report  (Senate  no.  45),  in  which 
the  observance  of  the  hundredth  anniversary  of  the 
battle,  as  well  as  the  erection  of  a  permanent  memorial, 
was  suggested,  and  the  creation  of  a  commission  recom 
mended.  A  bill,  introduced  by  Assemblyman  Vert, 
providing  for  the  creation  of  the  Plattsburg  Centenary 
Commission,  was  passed,  and  received  executive  approval 
May  24th.  The  commission  was  originally  composed 
of  fifteen  members,  five  citizens  appointed  by  the 
Governor,  five  senators  chosen  by  the  President  of  the 
Senate,  and  five  assemblymen  selected  by  the  Speaker; 
and  the  object  of  its  creation  was  "  to  plan  and  conduct 
in  the  month  of  September  1914  an  appropriate  public 
celebration  of  the  centenary  of  the  Battle  of  Plattsburg, 
to  provide  for  the  participation  of  the  State  of  New  York 
therein,  including  any  entertainment,  celebration  or 

7 


public  function  held  during  such  celebration  or  in  con 
nection  therewith."  The  act  carried  an  appropriation 
of  $5000. 

December  29th  a  bill  was  signed  by  Governor  Glynn 
increasing  the  number  of  commissioners  from  fifteen  to 
eighteen.  April  3,  1914  an  act  was  approved  by  which 
the  commission  is  empowered,  ''  by  itself,  or  in  co 
operation  with  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
to  provide  for,  erect  and  establish  a  suitable  memorial 
to  Thomas  Macdonough  in  the  city  of  Plattsburg,  New 
York."  The  sum  of  $125,000  was  allowed  for  the 
erection  of  such  a  memorial  and  for  the  other  purposes 
specified  by  law. 

Vermont  has  created  a  commission,  of  which  the 
Governor  of  the  state  is  a  member,  and  appropriated 
$4000  for  the  construction  of  a  permanent  memorial; 
and  it  is  the  desire  of  this  commission  to  cooperate 
with  the  New  York  commission  and  the  federal  authori 
ties  in  the  celebration  of  the  battle  and  the  erection  of 
memorial  structures. 

During  the  year  the  additional  members  of  the  com 
mission  have  been  named,  and  the  vacancy  caused  by 
the  resignation  of  Mortimer  C.  O'Brien,  of  White  Plains, 
was  filled  by  the  appointment  of  Dr  Alexander  W. 
Fairbank.  The  personnel  of  the  commission  and  its 
officers  as  now  constituted,  will  be  found  elsewhere  in 
this  pamphlet.  The  commission  will  give  to  the  press 
and  public  details  of  the  final  program. 


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The   Battle  of   Plattsburg1 

BY    JAMES    AUSTIN    HOLDEN 

WITH   the   possible   exception  of  Lake   George,   no 
other   inland    lake    in    the   world    has    so    much 
history  attached  to  it  as  Champlain,  or  has  been 
the    object    of    so    great   contention.     Adirondacks  and 
Iroquois,    Dutch   and    French,    English    and    Americans 
have   striven  in  turn  for  the  mastery  and  dominion  of 
this  sheet  of  water. 

Crown  Point  and  Ticonderoga,  Champlain  and  Jogues, 
Dieskau  and  Montcalm,  Lord  Howe  and  Amherst, 
Rogers  the  Ranger  and  St  Luc  the  Partisan,  Stark  and 
Putnam,  Ethan  Allen  and  Benedict  Arnold,  Philip 
Schuyler  and  Horatio  Gates,  St  Clair  and  Burgoyne 
have  all  added  a  particular  and  peculiar  luster  to  the 
story  of  Champlain,  which,  like  the  sunlight  playing  on 
the  burnished  surface  of  a  warrior's  shield,  all  but  blinds 
the  eyes  of  the  historian  to  the  fact  that  any  important 
event  could  possibly  occur  elsewhere. 

With  the  causes  which  led  up  to  the  War  of  1812,  with 
the  apathy  of  New  England,  with  the  forcing  upon  New 
York  and  its  great  war  governor,  Daniel  D.  Tompkins, 
of  the  necessity  of  protecting  its  frontiers  and  of  standing, 
practically  alone,  the  brunt  of  almost  three  years  of 
fighting,  this  sketch,  in  its  limited  scope,  must  not 
treat. 

Of  Perry's  great  victory  on  Lake  Erie,  whose  centenary 
was  celebrated  last  year,  of  the  attempts,  successful  and 
unsuccessful,  of  our  soldiers  and  militia  in  western  New 
York,  of  the  horrors  which  accompanied  the  campaigns 
from  1812  to  1815,  of  the  many  interesting  incidents, 
traditions  and  stories  which  cluster  around  and  are  part 

1  Extracts  from  address  delivered  before  the  Lake  Champlain 
Association  of  New  York  City,  December  9,  1913. 

II 


of  the  annals  of  those  campaigns,  of  the  soldiers  and 
men  who  made  and  lost  reputations  for  bravery  and 
skill  during  that  time,  volumes  could  be  written.  But 
at  this  time  all  this  can  be  treated  only  as  a  prelude  to 
that  dramatic  event  whose  scenes,  with  the  playwright's 
license,  we  are  about  to  transfer  to  the  mobile  platform 
of  Lake  Champlain.  That  lake,  with  its  beautiful  setting 
of  wind-ruffled  pines,  its  broad  headlands  and  rocky 
bluffs,  its  great,  green  islands,  its  down-sloping  shores 
and  curved  arms  encircling  the  deep-tinted  waters  of  the 
bay,  whose  newly  erected  fortifications  protected  the  old- 
fashioned  houses,  of  which  but  seven  remain,  and  the 
straggling  clusters  of  huts  and  dwellings,  formed  the 
backdrop  of  this  mighty  spectacle. 

If  "  coming  events  cast  their  shadows  before,"  we  may 
well  wonder  what  were  the  visions  seen  by  Judge  Zephan- 
iah  Platt,  when,  in  1784,  he  came  from  Dutchess  county 
to  establish  his  location  of  18,000  acres  upon  the  old 


3c  <fa  pt.  <Hat     fPfatt  OI&aitMVrt  ,  1  7  9 


From  a  water  color  by  Richbell  Smith 

Quartermaster-general's  headquarters,  1814 


12 


De  Fredenberg  tract  of  land,  which  had  been  \ forfeited 
to  the  State  as  a  result  of  the  Revolution.  After  this 
land  had  been  acquired  by  the  thirty-two  proprietors, 
including  among  others  the  numerous  Platts  as  well  as 
Philip  Schuyler,  Zephaniah  Platt  became  a  sort  of 
patroon  and  with  his  brothers  established  the  beginnings 
of  the  future  city  of  Plattsburg,  the  first  town  meeting 
being  held  June  16,  1785,  at  the  house  of  Judge  Charles 
Platt,  the  patroon's  brother. 

It  was  undoubtedly  farthest  from  the  thoughts  of 
that  pioneer  that  his  name  was  to  go  down  in  history, 
linked  with  the  title  of  one  of  the  most  successful  and 
unique  military  events  which  have  ever  been  recorded 
by  the  annalist.  In  fact,  it  may  well  be  questioned 
whether,  in  any  clime  or  age,  there  have  been  recorded 
many  really  decisive  events  in  which  a  naval  victory,  over 
whelming  in  its  character,  has  been  accompanied  almost 
simultaneously  by  an  equally  deciding  success  on  land. 

Thus,  perhaps,  by  as  wandering  and  crooked  trails 
as  those  used  by  the  "  Romans  of  the  West  "  to  approach 
Lake  Champlain,  we  come  to  the  subject  of  this  paper, 
"  The  Battle  of  Plattsburg/'  or,  as  it  is  also  called,  the 
"  Battle  of  Lake  Champlain,"  or,  as  Dawson  prefers  to 
name  it,  "  The  Second  Invasion  of  New  York/' 

Here,  in  passing,  let  me  say  that  during  the  wars  in 
which  she  has  been  engaged,  there  must  have  been  a 
special  providence  appointed  to  look  after  our  country. 
For  none  of  her  battles,  either  on  land  or  sea,  have 
apparently  been  won  by  the  superior  knowledge,  skill 
or  ability  displayed  by  the  committees,  officers  or 
bureaucrats  who  have  been  at  the  head  of  military  and 
naval  affairs  during  the  period  of  growth  and  expansion. 
Fortunate  indeed,  however,  has  she  been  in  the  men  who 
have  made  up  the  fighting  force  of  her  army  and  navy 
during  that  period,  from  general  to  private  from  admiral 
to  jack  tar. 

13 


Some  time  during  the  early  part  of  1814,  Sir  George 
Prevost,  Governor  General  of  Canada,  determined  to 
invade  New  York,  following  the  plans  originally  laid 
out  by  General  Burgoyne  in  1777.  In  July,  Governor 
Tompkins  issued  an  order  that  13,500  of  the  militia  of 
the  State  of  New  York  be  detached,  equipped  and  held 
in  readiness  for  actual  service,  prepared  to  march  at  a 
moment's  notice.  From  that  time  on  there  was  more 
or  less  activity  among  the  militia  of  the  State.  It  may 
be  of  passing  interest  to  know  that  in  those  far-away 
days,  it  was  the  duty  of  one  Washington  Irving,  lieu 
tenant  colonel  and  aide-de-camp  to  the  commander-in- 
chief,  to  issue  orders  to  the  quartermasters  of  the 
various  brigades  to  execute  bonds  under  the  direction 
of  Samuel  Edmunds,  principal  paymaster  of  the  militia. 

Although  the  plan  of  General  Prevost  was  evidently 
known  to  the  inhabitants  of  New  York  for  several  weeks 
previous  to  the  Battle  of  Plattsburg,  both  sides  being 
well  supplied  with  spies,  partisans,  traitors  and  deserters, 
with  that  blind  fatuity  which  has  characterized  most  of 
our  military  preparations  since  the  beginning,  the  then 
secretary  of  war  ordered  Major  General  George  Izard  to 
the  assistance  of  Major  General  Jacob  Brown  on  the 
Niagara  frontier.  In  spite  of  the  vigorous  protests  of 
General  Izard,  he  was  forced  to  leave  Plattsburg  at  the 
head  of  4000  troops,  going  by  way  of  the  then  new  State 
road  to  the  old  trail,  over  Lakes  Champlain  and  George 
and  by  way  of  Saratoga  and  the  Mohawk  valley  to 
Sacketts  Harbor,  where  he  arrived  about  September  i5th, 
and  did  splendid  service  at  that  end  of  the  State.  He 
left  behind,  under  the  command  of  Brigadier  General 
Alexander  Macomb,  only  about  1500  effective  men  to 
protect  the  whole  Champlain  frontier,  along  with  some 
sick  and  convalescent. 

General  Izard's  forces  had  hardly  taken  up  their 
march  when  couriers  came  dashing  into  Plattsburg, 
warning  the  authorities  that  General  Brisbane,  the 

14 


Painted  by  Samuel  L.  Waldo,  A.  X.  A.,  1815 

Brigadier  General  Alexander  Macomb 

From  an  oil  painting  in  the  City  Hall,  New  York 


Photo  by  Mrs.  Weaver 

Northeast  from  Cumberland  head 


British  com 
mander,  was 
encamped 
with  the  ad 
vance  guard 
of  the  enemy 
on  the  north 
side  of  the 
Great  Chazy; 
and  that  Sir 
George  P  r  e  - 
vost  was  fol 
lowing  with 
his  combined 
force,  a  mount 
ing  to  15,000 

well-disciplined  troops.  Among  these  were  some  of  the 
most  able  veterans  and  the  seasoned  continental  flower  of 
the  English  army,  fresh  from  their  triumphs  over  Napoleon. 
This  was  August  3ist,  and  on  the  same  day,  it  is  stated 
by  Governor  Tompkins,  Major  General  Benjamin  Mooers, 
in  command  of  the  militia,  ordered  out  the  militiamen  of 
Clinton,  Essex  and  Franklin  counties  in  a  body  to  resist 
the  invasion  of  the  British.  Mounted  couriers  were 
despatched  in  all  directions  to  alarm  and  call  out  the 
militia  in  the  surrounding  villages.  In  anticipation  of 
some  such  movement  on  the  part  of  the  British,  the 
volunteers  had  been  holding  themselves  in  readiness, 
and  soon  Washington  and  Warren  counties,  and  the 
nearby  portion  of  Saratoga  county,  were  practically 
depopulated  of  their  able-bodied  citizens,  who  were  soon 
on  their  way  to  Plattsburg.  They  were  speedily  followed 
by  the  men  of  Montgomery,  Schoharie  and  Rensselaer 
counties.  At  the' same  time  like  situations  were  develop 
ing  in  Vermont.  We  are  told  how  the  old  muskets  were 
taken  from  the  wall,  powder  molds  made  ready,  and 
nights  spent"  in  heating  the  lead  and  casting  the  bullets 

16 


for  the  old  guns.  Governor  Chittenden  called  for 
volunteers,  as  he  could  not  order  his  men  outside  the 
state,  and  there  was  a  generous  response  to  his  summons 
to  arms.  It  is  true  that  some  of  these  militia  forces  did 
not  get  nearer  Plattsburg  than  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  Burl 
ington,  Vt.,  or  the  shore  of  the  lake.  A  number  of  com 
panies  being  unable  to  cross  the  lake  on  account  of  the 
want  of  transportation  facilities,  watched  the  ensuing  fight 
as  spectators,  having  shown  their  patriotism  and  good  will. 

As  exhibiting  loyalty  and  devotion  to  country,  if  not 
good  military  sense,  it  was  related  that  a  party  of  fifty 
from  Stowe,  Vt.,  marched  all  night  without  rations, 
guns  or  ammunition,  poorly  clad  and  slightly  shod, 
through  the  mud  and  rain  to  their  rendezvous.  The 
following  interesting  account  of  their  experiences,  given 
in  Hemenway's  '  Vermont  Gazetteer,"  is  no  doubt 
typical  of  many  that  relate  to  that  period: 

After  ascertaining  who  was  going  to  cross  the  lake, 
they  drew  their  rations.  The  eatable  was  wheat  bread. 
They  procured  some  pork  and  beef,  and  a  large  kettle 
for  boiling  it;  and  had  but  half  boiled  it,  when  the  drum 
called  them  to  march  to  the  wharf,  to  be  ready  for 
crossing.  They  put  their  half-cooked  meat  in  bags,  and 
some  of  the  men  swung  them  over  their  shoulders,  and 
as  they  walked,  the  grease  dropped  down  their  backs 
on  to  their  heels.  The  loaves  of  bread,  which  were  very 
large,  were  carried  by  thrusting  a  stick  through  them, 
and  shouldering  them.  On  their  way  to  the  wharf,  they 
drew  their  guns,  which  had  just  been  returned  from 
Montpelier,  where  they  had  been  sent  for  greater  safety. 
Friday  night,  about  sundown,  as  many  as  could  went 
aboard  the  Watercraft  which  was  to  convey  them  across 
the  lake.  This  craft  was  an  open-top  sail  boat  with 
much  the  appearance,  when  viewed  from  the  shore,  of  a 
common  sheep-yard.  Up  to  this  time,  the  men  had  eaten 
little  or  nothing  that  day.  When  the  boat  had  been 
sailing  about  two  hours,  it  was  be-calmed  and  began  to 
leak.  The  men  were  called  upon,  and  to  make  any 
considerable  progress,  were  obliged  to  bail  and  row  by 
turns.  Saturday  morning  about  daybreak,  they  reached 
'  Ketcham's  Landing,"  in  Peru,  as  they^did  not  choose 
to  go  direct  to  Plattsburg. 


Painted  by  G.  Freeman 


Photo  by  Bigelow 

Commodore  Thomas  Macdonough 
Presented  to  Madame  DeLord,  and  now  in  old  DeLord  mansion,  Plattsburg 


Even  for  some  days  after  the  battle,  the  militiamen 
continued  to  come  into  Plattsburg  in  response  to  the 
call  to  arms. 

This  army  of  militiamen  must  have  been  a  weird  and 
wonderful  sight,  fresh  from  the  farms  and  fields,  ignorant 
of  tactics,  generally  unprovided  with  arms  or  ammuni 
tion;  such  was  the  force  gathered  together  to  oppose  the 
splendidly  drilled  and  equipped  veterans  of  the  British, 
with  their  skilled  officers.  No  wonder  some  of  them 
wavered  in  the  first  skirmish,  although  General  Macomb 
in  his  official  report  stated  that  "  the  militia  behaved 
with  great  spirit  after  the  first  day,  and  the  volunteers 
of  Vermont  [under  General  Samuel  Strong]  were  exceed 
ingly  serviceable."  The  later  precipitate  and  unreason 
able  panic  and  flight  of  the  British,  however,  evened  up 
all  scores  in  this  respect. 

On  account  of  previous  happenings  on  the    lake,   to 

Thomas  Macdonough,  a  master  commandant  and  young 

naval  officer  of  promise,  had  been  intrusted  the  command 

of  the  naval  forces  on  Lake  Champlain,  his  headquarters 

to  be  at  Plattsburg  bay.     Within  forty  days  from  the 

time  the  trees  had  been  felled  in  the  forests  of  Vermont, 

his  flagship,   the  Saratoga,  was  launched  and  had  been 

armed  with  her  eight  long  24*8,  her  eighteen  carronades 

and  smaller  guns.     Attached  to  his  fleet  were  the  brig 

Eagle,  the  schooner   Ticonderoga,  the  sloop   Preble,  and 

ten   galleys   or  "  gunboats. "     All   these  vessels,    except 

the  Eagle,  were  ready  for  service  by  the  latter  part  of 

May. 

Returning  for  a  moment  to  the  land,  we  find  the 
forces  of  General  Prevost  in  commission,  and  on  the  ist 
of  September  find  Brisbane's  brigade  occupying  Odell- 
town,  in  Quebec,  near  the  border  of  New  York.  Two 
days  later  the  British,  under  Prevost,  appeared  in  force 
before  Champlain,  General  Alexander  Macomb's  small 
American  force  retiring  from  it.  The  next  day  an 

19 


Headquarters    of   General    Macomb 
Home  of  Gen.  Benjamin  Mooers   until    1838.     Originally  of  wood,  now  brick  veneer 

advance  was  made  upon  Chazy  without  opposition.  On 
the  5th,  however,  Prevost  began  to  find  obstructions 
in  the  way,  trees  felled  and  bridges  removed  by  the  order 
of  General  Macomb,  while  at  Sampson's,  eight  miles 
from  Plattsburg,  the  general  and  his  troops  remained 
until  morning.  Macomb's  1500  effective  men  by  this 
time  had  fallen  back  on  Plattsburg  and,  as  they  arrived, 
assisted  by  the  New  York  militia  under  General  Mooers 
and  the  Vermont  volunteers  under  General  Strong, 
about  2500  in  all,  finally  completed  their  defenses  on  the 
southern  bank  of  the  Saranac.  Within  a  sort  of  triangle, 
the  front  and  right  flanks  were  covered  by  the  Saranac 
and  the  lake,  and  the  left  by  a  ravine  running  from  the 
bend  of  the  stream  nearly  to  the  lake.  Here  within  the 
triangle  had  been  erected  Forts  Moreau,  Brown  and 
Scott,  commanded  by  Colonel  Mel.  Smith,  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Storrs  and  Major  Vinson  respectively. 


20 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 


Isaac  C.  Platt  house 


Headquarters   of  General    Robertson,    Beekmantown    road.     Used    by    British    as   a 

hospital 

Near  the  mouth  of  the  Saranac  and  the  lake,  a  block 
house  and  a  battery  were  built,  while  another  block 
house  stood  at  the  south  of  the  ravine,  midway  between 
the  river  and  the  lake. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th,  Prevost  began  his  grand 
advance  with  his  14,000  troops,  nearly  all,  as  has  been 
stated,  seasoned  veterans.  The  fighting  really  began 
on  the  6th,  when  Major  Wool,  afterward  the  heroic 
general  of  the  Mexican  War,  and  some  from  the  regular 
volunteers,  began  skirmishing  on  the  Beekmantown 
road,  where  at  Ira  Howe's  house  the  first  encounter  was 
had.  Then  came  the  affair  of  Culver's  hill,  the  fearful 
artillery  punishment  of  the  British  at  Halsey's  Corners 
by  Captain  Leonard's  battery,  the  death  of  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Willington,  and  the  first  loss  of  the  Americans. 
Of  the  punishment  of  the  enemy,  as  the  small  detach 
ments  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Appling  and  Captain  Sproul 
fell  back  to  the  main  body,  their  riflemen  disputing 


21 


every  step  of  the  way;  of  the  vigorous  defense  of  the 
lower  bridge  by  Martin  J.  Aiken's  volunteers,  all  crack 
shots  and  eager  to  fight;  of  the  bravery  of  the  British 
regulars  at  this  spot,  as  with  unbroken  step  they  marched 
over  their  dead  and  dying,  closing  up  ranks  as  fast  as 
the  boys'  rifle  fire  destroyed  the  formation;  of  the  hold 
ing  of  the  upper  bridge  by  General  Mooers  and  his 
men,  but  briefest  mention  can  be  made.  During  that 
day  the  British  lost  over  two  hundred  men,  while  the 
Americans'  loss  was  only  forty-five. 

From  the  6th  to  the  nth  Prevost  was  busy  bringing 
up  his  artillery,  placing  his  men,  and  hustling  Captain 
Downie  with  the  preparation  of  the  British  fleet. 

The  exploit  of  Captain  McGlassin,  at  the  head  of 
fifty  volunteers,  in  spiking  the  guns  at  the  rocket  battery 
opposite  Fort  Brown,  and  in  putting  to  flight,  by  a 
stratagem,  three  hundred  veteran  soldiers,  deserves 
more  than  passing  mention,  inasmuch  as  it  is  said  to 
have  "greatly  annoyed"  the  British  commander-in-chief. 

On  the  approach  of  the  British,  with  their  light 
dragoons,  rocketeers,  sappers  and  miners,  chasseurs 
and  voltigeurs,  their  Swiss  regiment,  light  infantry  and 
regulars,  a  truly  impressive  and  terrifying  force,  the 
comparatively  few  American  troops  drew  up  the  planks 
of  the  bridge,  making  breastworks,  from  which  they 
disputed  the  passage  of  the  Saranac.  Several  attempts 
to  cross  it  were  made  by  the  British,  but  they  were 
uniformly  defeated.  As  soon  as  the  battle  began  on  the 
lake,  the  American  forces  opened  fire,  which  was  returned 
by  the  batteries  and  rocketeers  of  the  British,  which 
threw  hundreds  of  shells,  balls  and  rockets.  In  his 
general  orders,  issued  September  I4th,  General  Macomb 
says:  'The  enemy's  fire  was  returned  with  effect  from 
our  batteries  and  by  sunset  we  had  the  satisfaction  to 
silence  seven  batteries  which  had  been  erected,  and  to 
see  his  column  retiring  to  their  camps,  beyond  the  reach 
of  our  guns." 

22 


1  Judge  Levi  Platt,  adjutant  8th  regiment.     Old  stone  mill  in  distance 

2  Home  of  Rev.  Frederick  Halsev  near  Halsey's  corners 

3  Elm  stands  near  site  of  Prevost's  headquarters  on  the  Thomas  Allen  farm 

4  Marker  at  Halsey's  Corners  where  heavy  fighting  took  place 


At  three  different  points  attempts  were  made  to  cross 
the  Saranac,  but  after  repeated  attacks  the  English  were 
driven  back  by  the  militia  and  volunteers  with  a  con 
siderable  loss  in  killed,  wounded  and  prisoners.  A 
contemporary  print  stated  regarding  this  affair:  '  The 
officers  of  the  army  from  Spain,  who  have  been  engaged 
in  upper  Canada,  have  acknowledged  that  they  never 
saw  such  determined  charges  as  was  made  by  the  Ameri 
cans  in  the  late  action." 

Of  the  exciting  events  of  that  day,  the  many  acts  of 
heroism,  offset  a  bit,  we  are  sorry  to  say,  by  some  records 
of  cowardice;  of  the  brave  acts  of  Aiken's  volunteers,  con 
sisting  of  schoolboys  not  old  enough  to  be  employed  at 
military  duty,  whose  heroic  deeds  were  later,  in  1826, 
recognized  by  Congress  by  the  official  gift  to  each  of  them 
of  a  rifle  properly  inscribed  "  for  their  gallantry  and 
patriotic  services  as  a  volunteer  corps,  during  the  siege  of 
Plattsburg;"  of  the  splendid  support  given  the  New  York 
militia  by  the  Vermont  volunteers;  of  the  high  praise 
accorded  the  New  York  militia  by  Governor  Tompkins,  in 
his  message  of  September  26th;  of  the  Governor's  strong 
protest  under  date  of  October  3,  1814,  to  Congressman 
Fisk,  for  the  omission  in  the  President's  message  of  praise 
for  the  New  York  and  Vermont  militia  for  its  gallant 
and  effective  work  at  Plattsburg;  of  the  scout  work  done 
by  Matthew  Standish,  who  first  reported  the  number  of 
the  British  to  General  Macomb;  of  the  valorous  deeds 
performed  by  Captain  Gilead  Sperry's  independent  com 
pany  of  minutemen;  of  Lem  Durkee's  famous  capture 
of  the  two,  or,  as  some  say,  five  British  soldiers  "  by 
surrounding  them";  of  the  good  work  done  by  other 
men,  later  prominent  in  the  history  of  Plattsburg  and 
its  neighboring  counties,  but  merest  mention  can  be 
made  in  the  limits  of  this  article. 

Baffled  by  the  unexpected  resistance  he  had  met  from 
a  mere  handful  of  regulars  and  inexperienced  militiamen, 
disheartened  by  the  defeat  of  the  naval  forces,  Prevost 

24 


and  his  forces  returned  to  their  camp  and  at  2  o'clock 
on  the  morning  of  the  I2th,  precipitately  retreated, 
having  gone  some  eight  miles  before  the  American  generals 
knew  the  enemy  had  fled,  leaving  their  sick,  wounded, 
baggage  and  valuable  stores  of  every  kind  behind.  Pur 
sued  by  a  detachment  of  the  Americans,  over  500 
deserters  were  brought  in.  The  loss  of  the  British, 
never  accurately  known,  was  estimated  to  be  about  2500 
in  dead,  wounded  and  deserted,  while  that  of  the  Ameri 
cans  was  less  than  100.  Alison,  the  European  historian, 
says  that  the  loss  of  the  British  was  not  more  than  five 
or  six  hundred.  The  same  writer  states,  regarding 
Prevost's  order  to  retreat,  that  "  such  was  the  indigna 
tion  that  this  order  excited  among  the  British  officers 
inured  in  Spain  to  a  long  course  of  victory,  that  several 
of  them  broke  their  swords,  declaring  they  would  never 
serve  again,  and  the  army  in  mournful  submission 
leisurely  wound  its  way  back  to  the  Canadian  frontier." 

Later,  Prevost,  for  his  retreat  and  inadequate  attack, 
was  ordered  to  a  court  martial,  but  died  before  the  trial 
took  place. 

Thus  ended  the  land  battle  of  Plattsburg. 

Meanwhile,  the  British  naval  commander,  Captain 
George  Downie,  prodded  and  driven  by  Prevost,  had 
not  been  idle  in  making  preparations.  At  the  northerly 
end  of  the  lake  a  fleet  had  been  prepared,  having  two 
sloops,  the  Eagle  and  the  Growler,  captured  from  the 
Americans  in  a  previous  skirmish,  as  its  basis.  This 
fleet,  as  finally  equipped,  consisted  of  the  following: 
the  flagship  Confiance,  the  brig  Linnet,  the  Chub,  the 
Finch  and  about  twelve  gunboats,  or  galleys. 

The  naval  experts  on  both  sides  who  have  written  of 
this  engagement,  have  rather  generally  admitted  that  the 
British  forces  were  superior  to  the  American  in  men 
and  armament.  Macdonough's  official  report  states 
that  the  Americans  had  eighty-six  guns  and  the  British 

25 


ninety-five,  while  a  contemporary  report  states  the 
number  of  Americans  in  the  naval  fight  to  have  been 
820  and  of  the  British,  1050.  Maclay,  however,  is 
authority  for  the  statement  that  the  Americans  had  1904 
pounds  of  metal  as  against  the  British  with  1900.  Stand 
ing  in  to  Plattsburg  bay  September  jd,  Commodore  Mac- 
donough  anchored  his  ships  just  outside  the  range  of 
the  shore  batteries  and  "  a  little  to  the  south  of  the 
outlet "  of  the  river  Saranac.  The  Eagle  came  first 
with  its  bow  toward  Cumberland  head  on  the  north, 
then  the  rest  of  the  squadron  in  the  following  order: 
the  Saratoga,  the  Ticonderoga  and  the  Preble,  the  last 
protected  by  the  shore  and  Crab  island.  Between  these 
the  galleys  were  placed  to  the  best  supporting  advantage. 
Springs  or  hawsers  were  attached  to  the  anchors  in  such 
a  way  that,  by  hauling  or  winding  them  tight,  the 
vessels'  heads  might  be  turned  around.  As  an  additional 
naval  aid  to  this  contrivance,  kedges  or  light  anchors 
were  placed  in  the  proper  position,  in  each  bow,  "  which 
timely  precaution/'  as  Cooper  says,  "  gained  the  victory." 
Lookouts  from  the  British  vessels  soon  discovered  the 
formation  of  the  American  fleet.  Maclay  says  that  "  by 
this  arrangement  not  only  were  the  enemy  prevented 
from  flanking  the  American  lines,  but  the  distance  from 
Cumberland  head  to  Crab  island  was  so  short  that 
Captain  Downie  could  not  draw  out  the  full  length  of 
his  line  of  battle."  Leaving  Isle  La  Motte  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  fateful  nth,  just  after  eight  o'clock,  the  British 
squadron  came  in  sight,  the  Finch  leading,  followed 
by  the  other  British  boats.  At  nine  o'clock  Downie 
anchored  at  about  three  hundred  yards  distance  from 
the  Americans.  The  Conftance  opposed  the  Saratoga, 
the  Finch  the  Ticonderoga,  some  of  the  enemy's  galleys 
the  Preble,  the  Chub  and  the  Linnet  the  Eagle,  while 
the  remaining  galleys  were  to  give  such  assistance  as 
possible.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  were  of  little  help 
and  soon  removed  out  of  harm's  way. 

27 


From  Bluff  point,  looking  northeast  to  scene  of  Macdonough's 

victory 

All  things  being  ready,  Captain  Macdonough,  being  a 
devout  member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  called  together 
such  of  his  men  as  were  able  or  cared  to  do  so,  to  attend 
the  reading  of  the  prayers  set  forth  in  the  Book  of  Com 
mon  Prayer,  "  to  be  said  before  a  fight  at  sea  against 
any  enemy." 

According  to  tradition,  the  nth  broke  clear  and 
beautiful,  an  ideal  September  morning.  A  gentle  breeze 
just  rippled  the  surface  of  the  lake.  It  was  Sunday, 
and  a  correspondent  writes:  "  I  have  often  heard  the 
old  people  account  for  our  great  victory  as  owing  to  the 
prayers  offered  on  our  ship  by  the  commanding  officer 
and  from  the  fact  that  '  the  British  commenced  the  fight 
on  a  Sabbath  day/ 

My  correspondent,  relating  the  story  as  told  her  by 
her  grandfather,  says:  "  The  British  fleet  rounded 
Cumberland  head  to  find  our  little  fleet  waiting  in  line, 
from  where  the  garrison  now  stands  diagonally  out  to 
Crab  island.  The  British  fired  first,  and,  when  our  fleet 
returned  the  fire,  the  balls  seemed  to  just  skip  on  the 
waters  and  do  the  enemy  no  harm." 

28 


The  British  came  on  with  cheers,  with  the  British 
ensign  proudly  floating  in  the  crisp  September  air,  that 
flag  which,  on  the  sea  especially,  had  been  lowered  so 
few  times  before  opposing  forces.  From  a  broken  hen 
coop  on  the  American  flagship  fluttered  a  patriotic 
rooster,  which,  flying  on  a  gun  slide,  crowed  lustily  and 
clapped  his  wings,  amid  the  cheers  of  the  sailors  on  the 
Saratoga,  who  took  this  as  a  harbinger  of  victory. 

Rising  from  his  devotions,  Commodore  Macdonough 
sighted  the  first  gun  on  the  Saratoga  and  fired,  raking  the 
Confiance  fore  and  aft,  the  ball  entering  an  open  port, 
carrying  away  the  wheel  and  inflicting  considerable 
damage.  From  then  on,  the  conflict  became  general, 
and,  close  as  the  vessels  were,  the  struggle  developed  into 
one  of  the  most  desperate,  bloody  and  fiercely  contested 
of  the  war.  Thrilling  incidents  were  not  uncommon. 
Commodore  Macdonough  was  knocked  down  once  by  a 
splinter  and  once  by  the  head  of  one  of  the  sailors.  A 
lieutenant  had  his  feet  knocked  out  from  under  him  by  a 
cannon  ball  striking  a  chest  of  ammunition  on  which  he 
was  standing,  and  was  again  knocked  down  by  the  head 
of  another  sailor.  The  British  commander,  Downie,  was 
killed  early  in  the  engagement  by  a  gun  carriage,  which, 
forced  inward  by  a  ball  from  the  opposing  ship,  struck 
him  so  violently  as  to  cause  his  death.  As  he  started 
from  Isle  La  Motte,  he  boasted  that  within  ten  minutes 
after  he  met  the  Saratoga,  he  would  be  on  board  of  her; 
in  not  much  more  than  that  time  he  was  dead.  Fifty-five 
round  shot  were  placed  in  the  hull  of  the  Saratoga  by  the 
cannoneers,  and  one  hundred  five  in  the  Confiance.  The 
rigging  of  every  vessel  possessed  of  masts  and  sails  was 
shattered  to  pieces,  so  that,  as  one  midshipman  stated, 
"  one  looked  like  so  many  bunches  of  matches  and  the 
other  like  so  many  bunches  of  rags." 

Benajah  Phelps  of  South  Hero,  who  visited  the  fleet 
the  day  after  the  battle,  stated  that  the  Confiance  was  a 

29 


Photo  by  Mrs  Baker 


The  lake  from  Cliff  Haven 


fine  ship.  "  She  was  made  of  solid  oak  timber  sawed 
with  a  hand  saw.  .  .  .  The  planking  was  white  oak 
and  six  inches  thick.  The  small  balls  did  not  go  through 
these  planks,  they  were  just  stuck  solid  full  of  balls  that 
looked  just  like  some  of  the  new  fashioned  houses,  plas 
tered  on  the  outside,  where  they  threw  gravel  into  the 
soft  plaster,  it  seemed  as  if  they  couldn't  git  any  more 
balls  in.  ...  The  rigging  was  all  to  pieces,  there 
wasn't  any  of  it  left.  Our  folks  used  chain  shot. 
They  cut  the  shrouds  and  everything  right  off." 

Time  and  opportunity  are  lacking  to  describe  this 
naval  battle  in  detail.  That  has  been  much  better  done 
by  experts  like  J.  Fenimore  Cooper,  Henry  B.  Dawson, 
Admiral  Mahan,  Ex-president  Roosevelt  and  the  able 
historian  of  the  Champlain  region,  Peter  S.  Palmer. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  it  lasted  two  hours  and  twenty  minutes, 
and  was,  like  every  Anglo-Saxon  contest  on  the  sea, 
fought  to  a  deadly  finish.  An  English  midshipman 
wrote:  'The  havoc  on  both  sides  is  dreadful. 

30 


There  is  one  of  our  marines  who  was  in  the  Trafalgar 
action  with  Lord  Nelson,  who  says  it  was  a  flea  bite  in 
comparison  with  this." 

Regarding  marines,  I  do  not  think  it  is  generally 
known  that  a  detachment  of  marines  accompanied  the 
American  squadron  under  Captain  White  Youngs,  and 
that  on  September  ijth  Captain  Macdonough  wrote  to 
General  Macomb  commending  Youngs  and  his  men  and 
praising  Youngs  for  volunteering  to  carry  orders  to  the 
galleys  in  a  sinking  boat,  and  for  supplying  the  crews 
with  his  men,  as  the  sailors  were  disabled. 

At  the  critical  period,  when  the  Saratoga  s  guns  on  one 
side  had  been  silenced  and  the  battle  was  nearly  lost  to 
the  Americans,  Commodore  Macdonough  executed  the 
difficult  naval  maneuver  upon  which  the  success  of  the 
whole  battle  depended,  that  of  turning  the  Saratoga 
around  by  means  of  the  springs  and  kedges  heretofore 
mentioned.  The  exploit  was  successfully  performed,  the 
vessel  swung  around  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  the 
enemy,  and  the  Saratoga  presented  practically  a  new  ship 


Photo  by  Mrs  Baker 


Cumberland  head 
31 


to  the  British,  who  attempted  to  do  the  same  thing,  but 
failed.  This  maneuver  was  the  beginning  of  the  end. 
Not  long  afterward  the  British  struck  their  colors,  and 
the  most  decisive  of  the  naval  events  of  the  War  of 
1812-15  was  over. 

It  must  have  been  a  wonderful  sight,  this  battle  on  the 
lake,  and  it  did  not  lack  for  spectators.  On  North  Hero 
the  women  and  children  flocked  to  the  south  end  of  the 
island  to  watch  the  fight,  while  on  Grand  isle,  all  who 
could  find  boats  crossed  the  lake  to  Cumberland  head  to 
obtain  a  closer  view,  while  the  rest  gathered  on  the  west 
shore  as  onlookers  of  the  engagement. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  neither  photography  nor 
moving  pictures  had  been  invented  in  that  day  and  gen 
eration.  For,  in  spite  of  the  large  number  who  witnessed 
the  fight,  but  few  statements  of  eye  witnesses  have  come 
down  to  us,  and  no  sketches  or  pictures  of  any  sort,  if  we 
except  that  purely  imaginative  one,  the  magnificent 
painting  which  hangs  in  the  study  of  Smith  M.  Weed 
of  Plattsburg. 

My  correspondent,  heretofore  referred  to,  says:  ''*  But 
very  little  seems  to  have  been  written  down  in  regard  to 
the  events  of  that  day.  Perhaps  the  people  living  here 
thought  they  knew  all  they  wanted  to  of  such  a  battle 
and  did  not  need  to  write  about  such  an  event." 

It  has  been  stated  that  nearly  every  person  in  the 
American  or  British  fleet  suffered  an  injury  of  some  sort. 
After  the  battle  Macdonough  stood  away  to  Crab  island, 
where  an  anchorage  was  secured,  and  the  dead  of  both 
fleets,  wrapped  only  in  blankets  or  not  at  all,  were  buried 
face  downward,  in  a  common  grave. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  Simeon  Doty,  then  a  youngster, 
visited  Crab  island  and  saw  the  dismembered  limbs  and 
other  disjecta  membra  of  the  human  body,  with  human 
entrails,  which  had  been  thrown  overboard  during  the 
engagement,  floating  into  the  shore  at  the  landing.  Of 

32 


the  engagement,  the  following  description  of  Hon.  J.  C. 
Hubbell,  of  Chazy,  as  printed  in  the  Plattsburg  Repub 
lican,  February  i,  1879,  may  be  of  interest: 

Macdonough's  fleet  was  anchored  between  Cumberland 
head  and  Crab  island,  a  little  inside,  and  the  British  fleet 
bore  down  upon  them,  under  a  good  northerly  breeze. 
The  British  guns  had  much  the  longest  range,  but, 
strangely  enough,  they  came  within  easy  range  of  our 
guns,  instead  of  keeping  off  farther  out  of  reach  and 
using  their  advantage.  This  was  perhaps  owing  to  a 
miscalculation  on  the  wind,  but  anyhow  it  seemed 
providential. 

Soon  the  firing  commenced.  I  can  not  begin  to 
describe  that  scene.  I  was  near  the  point  of  the  head, 
on  the  west  shore,  and  had  a  perfect  view  of  the  whole 
battle.  The  firing  was  terrific,  fairly  shaking  the  ground, 
and  so  rapid  that  it  seemed  to  be  one  continuous  roar, 
intermingled  with  spiteful  flashing  from  the  mouths  of 
the  guns,  and  dense  clouds  of  smoke  soon  hung  over  the 
two  fleets.  It  appeared  to  me  that  our  guns  were  dis 
charged  three  times  to  the  enemy's  once,  and  a  British 
officer  afterwards  told  me  that  it  took  twelve  men  to 
manage  each  of  them. 

I  am  not  going  to  tell  you  the  story  of  the  battle; 
history  has  done  that  already,  so  that  everybody  is 
familiar  with  it.  I  saw  the  two  midshipmen  [Platt  and 
another]  go  out  in  their  small  boat,  as  it  was  necessary 
for  somebody  to  do  in  order  to  swing  the  Saratoga  around 
so  as  to  bring  her  fresh  broadside  to  bear  upon  her  enemy, 
the  Confiance.  It  seemed  as  if  that  little  boat  must  be 
struck,  the  shot  were  flying  so  thick  all  about  it,  and  I 
believe  it  was  struck  several  times,  but  the  Saratoga  was 
warped  about,  and,  when  that  fresh  broadside  opened,  it 
seemed  as  if  she  was  all  on  fire.  The  battle  was  soon 
decided  after  that,  and  the  British  flags  came  down  one 
after  another. 

Several  gentlemen  from  Burlington  were  on  the  shore 
where  I  stood.  They  had  a  small  canoe,  and,  after  the 
battle  was  over,  they  invited  Judge  Scott  and  myself  to 
go  in  their  boat  with  them  aboard  the  Saratoga,  and  we 
did  so.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  shaking  hands  with  Com 
modore  Macdonough,  whom  I  had  met  before,  and  con 
gratulating  him  on  the  fact  that  he  had  escaped 

33 


Photo  by  Miss  Weaver 

Looking  north,  toward  Isle  La  Motte,  where  the  British  fleet  rested 
the   night   before   the   battle 

unharmed.  He  replied  that  he  was  knocked  down  once 
by  a  boom  which  got  cut  in  two  by  a  shot,  part  of  it 
falling  upon  him;  and  he  showed  me  the  place  where  he 
stood  only  a  moment  before  a  2O-pound  shot  swept 
across  the  deck  over  the  very  spot  and  buried  itself  in 
the  mast. 

The  dead  were  all  packed  up  in  order  here,  and  the 
decks  were  cleaned  up,  but  the  seams  full  of  blood,  and 
the  torn  hull,  masts  and  spars  told  the  story  of  the  fearful 
struggle. 

From  the  Saratoga  we  went  aboard  the  British  flagship, 
the  Confiance,  and  here  was  a  horrible  sight.  The  vessel 
was  absolutely  torn  to  pieces;  the  decks  were  strewed 
with  mutilated  bodies  lying  in  all  directions,  and  every 
thing  was  covered  with  blood.  It  was  the  most  fearful 
sight  I  ever  beheld  or  ever  expect  to,  and  one  I  shall 
never  forget.  One  poor  fellow  whom  I  had  seen  before  - 
a  pilot  named  Brown --lay  groaning  on  the  deck,  his 
head  swathed  up  with  a  bloody  shirt.  He  recognized 
me,  but,  when  I  returned  to  him  a  few  moments  after 
wards,  he  was  dead.  I  went  below  and  saw  the  body  of 
Commodore  Downie  lying  in  his  stateroom.  He  was  a 
large,  fair-looking  man,  and  the  surgeons  could  find  no 
mark  upon  him,  but  on  examination  concluded  that  he 
must  have  been  killed  by  a  spent  shot. 

34 


Road  at  south  end  of  Cumberland  head 

On  boarding  the  Confiance  later,  a  furnace  for  heating 
cannon  balls,  some  of  which  had  set  the  Saratoga  on  fire 
several  times  during  the  battle,  was  found  in  full  opera 
tion.  So  little  had  naval  science  advanced  in  1862, 
according  to  a  very  recent  magazine  article,  that  such  a 
device  was  used  on  the  Merrimac  in  its  historic  duel  with 
the  Monitor. 

With  his  characteristic  modesty,  Commodore  Mac- 
donough  announced  the  results  of  the  most  important  of 
the  struggles  of  the  war  in  a  brief  note  to  the  secretary 
of  the  navy,  Hon.  W.  Jones,  under  date  of  September  n, 
1814  in  these  words:  "  Sir  -  -  The  Almighty  has  been 
pleased  to  grant  us  a  signal  victory  on  Lake  Champlain, 
in  the  capture  of  one  frigate,  one  brig,  and  two  sloops  of 
war  of  the  enemy." 

The  results  of  the  battle  were  at  once  reassuring  and 
heartening  to  a  people  which  had  become  thoroughly 
discouraged  by  the  conduct  of  the  war  up  to  that  time. 
It  has  been  said  by  someone,  that,  if  any  event  were 
ever  entitled  to  be  called  decisive,  this  was  one  of  them. 
Macdonough  was  promoted  to  post  captain,  and  public 
dinners  were  given  to  him  and  Macomb  with  their 

35 


Sword  presented  to  General 
Macomb  by  State  of  New  York 


official  staffs,  at  Plattsburg 
on  September  236,  and  at 
Burlington  on  September 
26th.  Large  grants  of  land 
were  later  given  to  Mao 
donough  by  New  York  State 
and  Vermont,  the  latter  on 
Cumberland  head,  making 
him  for  that  day  a  compara 
tively  well-to-do  man.  The 
State  of  New  York,  by 
official  legislative  action, 
and  through  its  governor 
and  commander-in-chief, 
Daniel  D.  Tompkins,  pre 
sented  to  Captain  Mac- 
donough  and  Generals  Ma- 
comb,  Benjamin  Mooers  and 
Samuel  Strong  of  Vermont, 
handsome  swords  as  tro 
phies  and  memorials  of  their 
valor  and  services.  The  city 
of  New  York,  by  its  com 
mon  council,  unanimously 
resolved  to  present  to  Mac- 
donough  the  freedom  of  the 
city  in  a  gold  box,  and 
Albany  did  the  same;  while 
New  York  and  Delaware 


requested  his  portrait  for  their  official  picture  galleries. 
Congress  also  gave  Macdonough  the  usual  fine  gold 
medal,  the  same  official  reward  being  given  Lieutenants 
Robert  Henley  and  Stephen  Cassin,  who  were  made 
master  commandants  by  promotion. 

Delaware,  his  native  state,  gave  him  a  costly  sword 
and  silver  service;  Connecticut,  a  pair  of  gold-mounted 
pistols;  and  Lansingburg,  N.  Y.,  a  silver  pitcher  and 

36 


Photo  by  Miss  Weaver 

Where  the  tide  of  battle  ebbed  and  flowed 

goblets.  Macomb  received  honors  from  Belleville  in 
New  Jersey  and  also  a  congressional  gold  medal, 
while  Detroit  gave  him  a  silver  tankard.  In  fact  nearly 
all  the  prominent  officers  in  the  battle  were  recipients  of 
favors  of  one  sort  or  another. 

A  hundred  fateful  years  have  passed  since  the  Battle 
of  Plattsburg  practically  decided  the  fate  of  a  struggling 
nation,  and  won  for  it  the  respect,  if  not  the  friendship, 
of  strong  and  arrogant  European  countries. 

Since  then  numberless  gallons  of  water  have  run  from 
the  outlet  to  the  sea,  uniting  as  with  a  shimmering 
ribbon  of  green  and  sunlit  waves,  the  mighty  Dominion 
of  the  north  and  the  mightier  Republic  of  the  south,  in 
the  bonds  of  peace  and  amity. 

In  ruins  lie  the  fortifications  of  Ticonderoga  and 
Crown  Point,  defenseless  are  the  lakes  and  river  bound 
aries,  while  no  heavy-armed  war  craft  plow  their  waters. 
The  last  battle  on  Champlain  is  but  a  dream  today,  its 
heroes  gone,  its  warriors  all  but  forgotten.  Its  story  is 
valuable  mostly  as  a  warning  to  present  and  future 

37 


generations,  that  war,  no  matter  how  necessary  to  main 
tain  our  national  honor  and  integrity,  can  never,  however 
successful  it  may  be,  bring  back  to  life  our  dead,  comfort 
the  widows  and  orphans,  restore  the  property  lost,  or 
add  one  iota  to  the  moral  uplift  of  the  race  and  its  final 
regeneration. 

It  is  little  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  since,  from 
his  deathbed  of  pain  and  agony,  the  great  commander 
of  a  great  war,  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  the  first  of  our  military 
apostles  of  peace,  sent  forth  from  the  pine-crowned 
summit  of  Mount  McGregor,  rising  rugged  and  sublime 
from  shores  washed  by  the  turbid  waters  of  the  upper 
Hudson,  this  message,  which  is  not  unapropos  in  connec 
tion  with  the  period  we  are  treating:  "The  war  has 
made  us  a  nation  of  great  power  and  intelligence.  We 
have  but  little  to  do  to  preserve  peace,  happiness  and 
prosperity  at  home,  and  the  respect  of  other  nations. 
Our  experience  ought  to  teach  us  the  necessity  of  the 
first;  our  power  secures  the  last." 


Siege    of    Plattsburgh 

Tune  —  Boyne  Water 

Backside  Albany  stan'  Lake  Champlain, 

Little  pond  half  full  o'  water; 
Plat-te-burg  dar  too,  close  'pon  de  main; 

Town  small  —  he  grow  bigger,  do',  herearter. 
On  Lake  Champlain  Uncle  Sam  set  he  boat, 

An'  Massa  Macdonough  he  sail  'em; 
While  Gineral  Macomb  make  Plat-te-burg  he  home 

Wid  de  army,  whose  courage  nebber  fail  'em. 

On  'lebenth  day  Sep-tem-ber, 

In  eighteen  hun'red  and  fourteen, 
Gubbernor  Probose  and  the  British  soj-er 

Come  to  Plat-te-burg  a  tea-party  courtin'; 
An'  he  boat  come  too,  arter  Uncle  Sam  boat. 

Massa  'Donough,  he  look  sharp  out  de  winder; 
Den  Gineral  Macomb  (ah!  he  always  a-home) 

Cotch  fire  too,  sirs,  like  a  tinder. 

Bang!  bang!  bang!  den  de  cannons  'gin  to  roar, 

In  Plat-te-burg  and  all  'bout  dat  quarter; 
Gubbernor  Probose  try  he  han'  'pon  de  shore, 

While  he  boat  take  he  luck  'pon  de  water; 
But  Massa  Macdonough  knock  he  boat  in  he  head, 

Break  he    heart,  break  he  shin,  'tove  he  caff  in, 
An'  Gineral  Macomb  start  ole  Probose  home  — 

To't  me  soul  den  I  muss  die  a  laffin'. 

Probose  scare  so  he  lef  all  behine, 

Powder,  ball,  cannon,  tea-pot,  an'  kittle; 
Some  say  he  cotch  a  cole  —  trouble  in  he  mine 

'Cause  he  eat  so  much  raw  an'  cole  vittle. 
Uncle  Sam  berry  sorry,  to  be  sure,  for  he  pain 

Wish  he  miss  herself  up  well  an'  hearty, 
For  Gineral  Macomb  and  Massa  'Donough  home 

When  he  notion  for  anudder  tea-party. 

The  victories  of  Macdonough  and  Macomb  were  the  subject  of  one  of  the  most 
popular  songs  written  and  sung  during  the  war.  It  was  written  by  Micajah  Hawk'ns 
for  the  proprietor  of  a  theater  in  Albany,  and  sung  by  him  in  the  character  of  a 
negro  sailor.  Governor  Tompkins  was  present  when  it  was  first  sung.  Hawkins  gained 
great  applause  and  a  prize  by  his  performance.  He  was  afterward  a  grocer  in 
Catharine  street,  New  York. 

Lossing's    Pictorial  Field  Book  of  the  War  of  1812. 

39 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 


Walworth  homestead.  Broad  street 


A  rocket  battery  was  stationed  on  site  in  rear  of  this  house,  and  in  its  yard   Aiken's 
company  was  formed  by  academy  boys 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 

Home  of  Dr  Benjamin  J.  Mooers,  a  surgeon  in  the  battle 

40 


Biographical    Sketches 

SIR  GEORGE  PREVOST 

Sir  George  Prevost,  a  son  of  Major  General  Augustine 
Prevost,  who  saw  service  in  the  French  war  and  the 
Revolution,  was  born  in  New  York  City  May  19,  1767. 
Entering  the  army,  he  became  a  captain  in  1783,  and  in 
1790  was  made  major  in  the  6oth  (Royal  American) 
foot  and  went  with  his  regiment  to  the  West  Indies, 
where  he  was  wounded  twice  in  an  engagement  in  St 
Vincent.  In  1798  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  brigadier 
general,  being  named  the  same  year  military  governor  of 
St  Lucia.  Three  years  later  the  office  of  civil  governor 
was  conferred  on  him  in  answer  to  a  petition  of  the 
people  of  that  island;  and  the  year  following  he  was 
appointed  captain  general  and  governor-in-chief  of  Dom 
inica.  He  participated  in  campaigns  in  St  Lucia  and 
Dominica,  returning  to  England  in  1805,  when  he  was 
given  command  of  the  Portsmouth  district  and  was 
honored  with  a  baronetcy.  He  took  part  in  the  capture 
of  Martinique  and  attained  the  rank  of  lieutenant  general. 
Manifest  fitness  for  civil  office  led  to  the  selection  of 
Prevost  in  1808  for  lieutenant  governor  and  commander- 
in-chief  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  three  years  afterward  to  his 
appointment  as  governor  general  of  British  North 
America. 

His  course  during  the  war  with  the  United  States  was 
judicious  in  the  main,  since  it  was  generally  confined  to 
defensive  measures  and  to  exertions  for  maintaining 
colonial  loyalty  to  the  British  connection.  The  offensive 
campaigning  in  which  he  participated  had  results  less 
happy.  The  attack  on  Sacketts  Harbor  in  May  1813 
yielded  hardly  more  satisfaction  than  the  operations 
which  collapsed  at  Plattsburg.  At  Sacketts  Harbor  a 
strong  body  of  British  regulars,  sustained  by  volunteers 
and  Indians,  and  a  respectable  squadron,  were  beaten 

41 


by  a  small  garrison  of  regular  troops,  having  the  brief 
and  wavering  support  of  militia.  After  the  repulse 
which  he  suffered  on  the  Saranac,  Prevost  was  evidently 
fearful  that  he  would  meet  a  fate  like  that  of  Burgoyne. 
Tidings  of  militia  reinforcements  hastening  to  the  assist 
ance  of  Macomb  came  to  his  ears,  and  these  reports,  it 
is  said,  were  much  exaggerated  by  a  Yankee  device,  with 
the  effect  of  exciting  his  worst  apprehensions  and  causing 
his  hurried  retreat.  The  censures  which  fell  heavy  on 
Prevost  after  this  disaster  pursued  him  to  the  end  of  his 
career.  In  the  Canadian  assembly,  on  the  conclusion  of 
peace,  a  bill  to  present  him  with  a  service  of  plate  "  in 
testimony  of  the  country's  sense  of  his  distinguished 
talents,  wisdom  and  ability J;  was  approved,  but  the 
council  withheld  assent.  He  was  called  to  England  to 
answer  charges  springing  out  of  the  Plattsburg  expedi 
tion;  and  died  a  week  before  the  meeting  of  a  court 
martial  which  was  to  try  him,  a  victim  to  anxiety  over 
the  position  in  which  he  was  placed. 

GEORGE  DOWNIE 

George  Downie  was  born  in  the  county  of  Ross,  Ire 
land,  and  was  the  son  of  a  clergyman.  Entering  the 
British  navy  as  a  midshipman,  he  served  in  the  action 
off  Camperdown.  For  several  years  he  saw  service  in 
the  West  Indies,  where  he  was  promoted  to  a  lieutenancy; 
and  in  1804,  while  lieutenant  of  the  frigate  Sea-horse,  in 
the  Mediterranean,  he  took  charge  of  a  six-oared  cutter 
and  performed  the  exploit  of  capturing  a  Spanish  convoy, 
laden  with  stores,  which  had  the  protection  of  a  battery, 
two  armed  schooners  and  other  boats.  The  following 
year  the  Sea-horse  vanquished  a  squadron  of  Turkish 
ships,  and  Downie  enjoyed  the  honor  of  taking  a  captured 
frigate  to  Malta.  Advancement  to  the  rank  of  master 
and  commander  immediately  followed  his  service  in  this 
battle.  Appointed  to  the  command  of  a  sloop  of  war, 

42 


BACK    SIDE   ALBANY, 


JACK  OF   GUINEA 


Untile  of  I»Iat.|e-t»iiff. 


a^k  sid«  Albany  smn'  Tjifee  Cli.ini 
On*  link  f»-.n4  tmlf  fill!  a'  water  ; 

' 


..    -  ,         .  pou  i!p 

TOUT*  *>n:»li—  h*1  gr<«»'  lit'tr  <lo    ereafe, 

On  LaJre  CK-trni'tmu  t.'wle  Sam  set  he  boot, 
And  Massa  M'Doarmas*  he  sail  'em, 

White  On'ral  M'Ootb  make  Pkt  tobps?  he  hmne, 
Witl  d<-  Rrniy,  who  courage  iKibtK-r  fail  'ei». 


Jack  of  Guinea. 

Great  tray  off  at  sea,  when  at  home  I've  been  «e, 
Baekra  man  fetch  me  from  the  coast  of  Guinea; 
Christian  massa  way,  b«  caNM  nw  hftuhcn  doggy, 
Den  I  ran  away  tor  very  much  he  floggy. 

Ri  tol  lol.  &x. 

White  msn  >irin«r  mn  hew.  nn'J  {rood  Christian  make  nie, 

Stand  beh'injl  |>er  cRtur  •'••!,-  faro  nl  iv  f,,r  suiaeft  ; 
Always  -'ht-  piny  J'ur,  y.;i  ••hf  al'.i'uy--  wmtipe. 

Bi  tol  J(4,  Sec. 

i  JLa-ly  nm  away,  lawyer  man  now  tnka  me, 

J  L-iuu  ".••••rd  !;••'-,•!  •;.  nn.i  srenl  runiie  he  nmke  mtf 
>  Puirmaii  liarr-  t  "-tw  f..>  tu  i:nv  s,o  funny, 
%  He  set  ail  :hv  ir.v.  f.u'  m:ti.--;t.  nil  ill.;  money. 

Ki  tol  lol,  &c. 


roan  so  eay  lor  a  sarry  hire  me, 
•!•.•  hi-  \>\  >•.  -p!\v-b>usfe  nevr  ti 


OI*1  Prcbtyv*  cc*irtt  «**  h**  l?r?ll  tahine, 

Piw,ler.  tnl!,  ou^.r-i,  t^-^,i  an  Vi!tli»— 
Saruc  say  hp  mrh  »  .-.,>•.  tn.nl.-if  in  ln»  wind 

'C«B>i-  ho  eat  M»  mu-ih  ra«-  nn  «-k-  viule. 
t'st.-In  S,nr.  iwriT  ••nny  1-1  !••>  .-'if,  l>if  he  pnin; 

W..-K  h-  nu-^"  hut.'-'  if  1.1  p  ••>-.  i;  »n;l  hf-nty— 
Ar.J  h4iv  •>!,    MT..t;.tj  «i,  M.i-.-:  DouWfDgfc 

When  t>«>  u.3i:-m  f.>r  »iu4.l'-f  tea  puny. 


^  AU  Ujc  people  vry,  t  and  ma^a  ian^h 


Aftpr  dat  I  30  wish  a  doctor  Uv'ec, 
Hnlfl  hint  hatul  ...ut  w,  .ifii-.fp  f-t-  -ir-y  ;•:•, 
Dc-y  lip  (m\  .':i!«t:-h.  tua.-\:i  mak->  ?t  ";tt  i' 
U-.  giv*1  -U*  ^(iiffii  *--?ii!i,  u  ntik'*  th^  wif 


R>  tol  loJ,  Arc 


••I^_?-' 

$ 


te»ii  ..{'  C:)y  whxrf,  North  Sni? 


Rare  broadside  from  collection  in  State  Library.    See  p.  39 


A  popular  ballad  of  1814 


43 


he  exerted  himself  with  such  effect  in  opposing  priva 
teers,  in  the  war  with  the  United  States,  that  he  attained 
a  post  captaincy.  In  April  of  1814  Downie  joined  the 
fleet  on  Lake  Ontario,  under  Sir  James  Yeo,  by  whom 
he  was  put  in  command  of  the  Champlain  flotilla. 
Downie's  qualities  as  an  officer  were  united  with  engaging 
personal  traits,  the  appreciation  of  which  found  early 
expression  in  the  tributes  to  his  fame.  Many  years 
after  his  death  a  marble  slab  was  laid  over  his  grave  in 
the  Plattsburg  burying  ground,  bearing  these  words: 
"  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  George  Downie,  Esq.,  a  post 
captain  in  the  Royal  British  Navy,  who  gloriously  fell 
on  board  his  B.  M.  S.  the  '  Confiance  '  while  leading  the 
vessels  under  his  command  to  the  attack  of  the  American 
flotilla  at  anchor  in  Cumberland  bay,  off  Plattsburg,  on 
the  nth  of  September  1814.  To  mark  the  spot  where 
the  remains  of  a  gallant  officer  and  sincere  friend  were 
honorably  interred,  this  stone  has  been  erected  by  his 
affectionate  sister-in-law,  Mary  Downie,  1851." 

THOMAS  MACDONOUGH 

Thomas  Macdonough,  born  December  23,  1783,  was 
a  native  of  New  Castle  county,  Delaware,  the  son  of 
Thomas  Macdonough,  a  physician,  who  served  in  the 
War  of  the  Revolution  with  regimental  command  and 
held  for  many  years  the  office  of  associate  judge  in  the 
court  of  common  pleas.  The  son  enlisted  as  a  mid 
shipman  in  the  naval  service,  and  was  with  Commodore 
Decatur  in  the  war  with  Tripoli,  obtaining  promotion 
for  distinguished  conduct  in  the  destruction  of  the 
Philadelphia.  At  Gibraltar,  while  in  temporary  com 
mand  of  the  Siren,  he  showed  the  spirit  which  animated 
him  by  rescuing  an  impressed  sailor  from  a  boat,  under 
the  guns  of  the  British  vessel  which  had  ordered  the 
seizure  and  to  which  the  prisoner  was  being  conveyed. 
In  1813  Macdonough  was  made  master  commandant,  and 
hejwas  sent^to  Lake  Champlain  to  command  the  flotilla 

44 


with  which  it  was  designed  to  defend  the  mast  ery  of  the 
lake.  He  spent  the  winter  at  Vergennes,  employed  in 
strengthening  his  fleet,  which  lay  in  Otter  creek.  In  the 
following  May  an  attack  was  made  by  the  enemy  on 
the  battery  erected  at  the  mouth  of  the  creek  for  the 
protection  of  his  vessels,  but  was  repelled  by  Mac- 
donough.  The  close  of  the  war  found  him  in  impaired 
health.  He  continued  in  the  naval  service,  however, 
and  died  at  sea,  November  16,  1825.  In  this  officer 
native  intrepidity  was  mingled  with  the  higher  form  of 
courage  which  springs  from  moral  motives  and  a  religious 
sense  of  duty. 

JOHN  ELLIS  WOOL 

John  Ellis  Wool  was  born  February  20,  1784  at  New- 
burgh,  N.  Y.,  attended  school  at  Troy,  engaged  in  busi 
ness,  studied  law  and  in  1812  received  a  commission  as 
captain  in  the  I3th  United  States  infantry.  For  his 
conduct  at  Queenston  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
major  in  the  29th  regiment;  and  his  behavior  at  Platts- 
burg  brought  a  lieutenant  colonelcy.  Transferred  to  the 
6th  regiment  after  the  close  of  the  war,  he  became 
inspector  general  with  colonel's  rank.  In  1836  he  suc 
cessfully  performed  the  work  of  removing  the  Cherokee 
Indians  to  the  country  beyond  the  Mississippi.  Five 
years  later  he  was  appointed  a  brigadier  general.  In  the 
Mexican  War  he  won  a  high  reputation,  being  brevetted 
major  general  for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  at 
Buena  Vista  and  receiving  a  sword  of  honor  by  resolu 
tion  of  Congress.  Swords  were  also  presented  by  the 
State  of  New  York  and  citizens  of  Troy.  At  the  out 
break  of  the  Civil  War,  General  Wool  was  at  the  head 
of  the  Department  of  the  East,  saving  Fortress  Monroe 
by  prompt  reinforcement  and  afterward  commanding 
that  post.  He  retired  from  active  service  August  i, 
1863.  His  death  occurred  in  Troy  November  10,  1869. 
A  monument  in  that  city  attests  public  appreciation  of 

his  services. 

45 


The  DeLord  house,  Cumberland    avenue 

i    Old  doorway;  2  stairway  in  house;  3   garden  laid  out  by  Major  De  Russey  in 
1812.      1  he  silver  was  buried  in  rear  garden. 

46 


SAMUEL  STRONG 

Samuel  Strong  was  born  at  Salisbury,  Conn.,  and  was 
the  second  son  of  John  Strong,  who  removed  from  Con 
necticut  to  Addison,  Vt.  The  son  left  Addison  with  his 
family  in  the  winter  of  1793-94  and  settled  at  Vergennes, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  lumbering,  was  inter 
ested  in  manufactures  and  contributed  in  many  ways  to 
the  development  of  that  region.  For  some  years  he  was 
president  of  the  Vergennes  ^^^^^^^^^^^— ^^^ 
bank.  He  held  the  offices  of 
alderman,  representative, 
assistant  judge  of  the  county 
court  and  mayor,  and  from 
1804  to  1810  was  major 
general  of  the  State  militia. 
When  Prevost's  approach 
was  announced,  the  political 
scruples  of  the  governor  of 
Vermont,  Martin  Chitten- 
den,  did  not  allow  him  to 
order  the  militia  out  of  the 
state;  consequently  he  called 
for  volunteers  to  aid  in 
checking  the  invasion.  The 
response  was  quick  and  en 
thusiastic.  A  brigade  was 
raised,  of  which  General 
Strong  received  the  com 
mand.  The  day  before  the 
action  there  were  about 
1 200  men  in  his  force, 
but  on  the  nth  of  September  the  number  had  been 
swollen  to  2500  by  the  constant  arrival  of  fighting  men. 
The  exposures  of  the  campaign  made  the  Vermont  gen 
eral  an  invalid  for  the  remainder  of  his  days.  His  prop 
erty  in  land  was  extensive,  and,  at  his  death  in  1833,  he 
left  a  large  estate  to  his  son,  General  Samuel  P.  Strong. 

47 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 

A  decoration  of  honor 

Cannon  ball  lodged  in  south  wall  of 
General  Mooers'  house.  This  wall  was 
originally  an  exterior  one,  through  which 
the  ball  crashed  after  entering  the  open 
door. 


ALEXANDER  MACOMB 

Alexander  Macomb  was  born  in  Detroit  April  3,  1782, 
and  was  educated  in  New  Jersey.  He  was  a  cornet  of 
light  dragoons  in  the  United  States  army  in  1799,  a 
second  lieutenant  of  infantry  in  1801,  a  lieutenant  of 
engineers  the  following  year,  and,  rising  through  suc 
cessive  grades,  was  transferred  to  a  colonelcy  in  the 
artillery  July  6,  1812,  serving  in  this  rank  at  Niagara 
and  Fort  George.  In  January  of  1814  he  was  promoted 

brigadier  general; 
and  September 
nth  of  that  year 
earned  a  brevet 
major  generalship 
.j^  for  distinguished 

and  gallant  conduct 
U          at    Plattsburg,     re- 
•  1  /  ceiving  as  well  the 

thanks  of  Congress 
and  a  gold  medal. 
Subsequently  a  col 
onel  of  engineers, 
then  a  major  gen 
eral,  Macomb  was 
made  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  army 
in  1828,  a  position 
which  he  held  till 
his  death  in  1841. 
He  was  interred  in 
the  Congressional 
burying  ground  at  Washington.  General  Macomb  was 
the  author  of  treatises  on  courts  martial  and  supervised  a 
work  on  tactics  and  regulations  for  the  militia. 

BENJAMIN  MOOERS] 

Benjamin  Mooers  was  born* April  i,   1758,  at  Haver- 
hill,  Mass.     In  the  War  of  the  Revolution  he  saw  service 

48 


Tankard    presented    to    General    Macomb 
by    city    of   Detroit 


Site  of  Fort  Izard,  Cumberland  head,  showing  depth  of    intrench- 

ments 

at  Ticonderoga,  and  was  a  lieutenant  and  adjutant  in 
Colonel  Moses  Hazen's  Canadian  regiment.  Removing 
to  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  after  the  war,  he  became  a  prom 
inent  citizen  of  Clinton  county,  which  he  served  as 
sheriff  and  treasurer.  He  also  filled  the  following  posts: 
assemblyman,  State  senator,  member  of  council  of 
appointment  and  presidential  elector.  In  the  militia  he 
rose  through  long  service  to  the  dignity  of  major  general; 
and  the  responsibilities  of  this  office  were  his  when 
Prevost  invaded  the  State.  General  Mooers's  residence 
was  on  Cumberland  head,  where  he  died  in  February  1838. 

ROBERT  HENLEY 

Robert  Henley,  who  commanded  the  Eagle  in  the 
battle  of  Plattsburg,  was  born  January  5,  1783  in  Wil- 
liamsburg,  Va.  He  attended  William  and  Mary  College. 
Entering  the  navy  as  a  midshipman,  he  saw  service  with 
Commodore  Truxton  in  the  Constellation,  and  took  part 
in  the  engagement  with  the  French  frigate  La  Vengeance. 
For  his  behavior  in  Macdonough's  victory  he  received 
the  thanks  of  Congress  and  a  gold  medal.  In  1825  he 
was  made  a  captain.  Henley  died  on  Sullivan's  island, 

S.  C,  October  7,  1828. 

49 


DANIEL  APPLING 

Daniel  Appling  was  born  in  1787  in  Columbia  county, 
Georgia.  In  1808  he  was  a  second  lieutenant  of  rifles, 
and  in  1814  a  major.  His  behavior  in  the  brilliant  affair 
of  Sandy  Creek  procured  promotion;  and  this  was  fol 
lowed  by  advancement  to  a  colonel's  rank  for  distin 
guished  service  at  Plattsburg.  He  died  March  5,  1817. 

STEPHEN  CASSIN 

Stephen  Cassin,  son  of  John  Cassin,  an  American 
naval  officer,  was  born  in  Philadelphia  February  16, 
1783.  He  entered  the  navy  as  a  midshipman  and  was 
promoted  lieutenant,  having  distinguished  himself  in  the 
war  with  Tripoli.  At  Plattsburg  he  commanded  the 
Ticonderoga,  winning  from  Congress  a  vote  of  thanks 
and  a  gold  medal.  His  reputation  was  increased  by 
successful  undertakings  against  West  India  pirates.  In 
1825  a  captain's  commission  was  conferred  on  him.  He 
died  in  Georgetown,  D.  C.,  August  29,  1857. 


Photo  by  Miss  Weaver 

Cumberland  head,  near  Plattsburg  bay 
50 


I  1' 


Guy  Dunham  house,  northeast  corner 
Court  and  Oak  streets,  now  the  Doclds 
house 


Hiram  Walworth  house,  Broad  street 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 

Peter  Sailly  house,  with  original  brass 
knocker 


x 


Richard  S.  Mooers  house,  Cumberland 
head.    Quartermaster  8th  regiment 


Old  Plattsburg  doorways 
5' 


The  Battle  of  Pittsburgh  Bay 

[September  n,  1814] 

Plattsburgh  bay  !     Plattsburgh  bay  ! 
Blue  and  gold  in  the  dawning  ray, 
Crimson  under  the  high  noonday 
With  the  reek  of  the  fray  ! 

It  was  Thomas  Macdonough,  as  gallant  a  sailor 
As  ever  went  scurrying  over  the  main; 

And  he  cried  from  his  deck,  //  they  think  I'm  a  quailer, 
And  deem  they  can  capture  this  Lake  of  Champlain, 
We'll  show  them  they're  not  fighting  France,  sir,  nor  Spain  I 

So  from  Cumberland  head  to  the  little.  Crab  island 
He  scattered  his  squadron  in  trim  battle-line; 

And  when  he  saw  Downie  come  rounding  the  highland, 
He  knelt  him,  beseeching  for  guidance  divine, 
Imploring  that  Heaven  would  crown  his  design. 

Then  thundered  the  Eagle  her  lusty  defiance; 

The  stout  Saratoga  aroused  with  a  roar; 
Soon  gunboat  and  galley  in  hearty  alliance 

Their  resonant  volley  of  compliments  pour; 

And  ever  Macdonough's  the  man  to  the  fore! 

And  lo,  when  the  fight  toward  its  fiercest  was  swirling, 
A  gamecock  released  by  a  splintering  ball, 

Flew  high  in  the  ratlines,  the  smoke  round  him  curling, 
And  over  the  din  gave  his  trumpeting  call, 
An  omen  of  ultimate  triumph  to  all! 

Then  a  valianter  light  touched  the  powder-grimed  faces; 

Then  faster  the  shot  seemed  to  plunge  from  the  gun; 
And  we  shattered  their  yards  and  we  sundered  their  braces, 

And  the  fume  of  our  cannon  —  it  shrouded  the  sun; 

Cried  Macdonough  —  Once  more,  and  the  battle  is  won! 

Now,  the  flag  of  the  haughty  Confiance  is  trailing; 

The  Linnet  in  woe  staggers  in  toward  the  shore; 
The  Finch  is  a  wreck  from  her  keel  to  her  railing; 

The  galleys  flee  fast  to  the  strain  of  the  oar; 

Macdonough!  'tis  he  is  the  man  to  the  fore! 

Oh,  our  main  decks  were  grim  and  our  gun  decks  were  gory, 
And  many  a  brave  brow  was  pallid  with  pain; 

52 


And  while  some  won  to  death,  yet  we  all  won  to  glory 
Who  fought  with  Macdonough  that  day  on  Champlain, 
And  humbled  her  pride  who  is  queen  of  the  main! 

Clinton  Scollard, 
In  Ballads  of  Valor  and  Victory,  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.,  1904. 


Photo  bv  Mrs  Trumbul! 


In  the  DeLord  house 

Old  furniture  in  use  at  time  of  battle 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbul 

Contemporary  silver  and  furniture 

In  the  Madam  DeLord  house,  Cumberland  avenue.  The  silver  set  buried  in 
garden  until  after  battle.  The  mahogany  sideboard  mutilated  by  British  and  door 
replaced  with  one  of  cherry 

53 


* 


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*^^***w«^»*     %&+£-  40+4 


«:/^  / 

A&KJZJtfy* 


^ 


Wfi«*(t> 

1  r\-*    &>    $*U^I<*1^£^ 


I  0 


From  manuscript  collection  in  State  Library 

Contemporary  story  of  battle 

See  page  56  for  transcript 

54 


'"*/ 


' 


£-/ 


*?<•<?  U«  t  rti.  <<? 


^r'*       ^/X?         * 

-^    #jfc&2-zr.   — 


^fifl;- 


From  manuscript  collection  in  State  Library 

Contemporary  story  of  battle 

See  page  56  for  transcript 

55 


McDONOUGH'S  VICTORY 

On  the  morning  of  the  n.  Sep*  1814  at  fifteen  m  past  8  A.  M. 
a  royal  salute  was  heard  by  commodore  MP.Donough's  line  which 
lay  moored  in  Plattsburgh  bay,  announcing  the  approch  of  Capt. 
Downie's  fleet.  [It  past  Cumberland  head  at  half  past  eight  and  at 
fifteen  minutes  before  nine  the  action  commenced.}1  The  British  fleet 
consisted  of  the  ship  Confiance,  of  39  guns  —  29  long  24  pounders 
and  10  32  p.  Carronades  Brig  Linnet- — of  16  long  12  pounders  — 
sloops  Chub  and  the  Finch  of  12  guns  each  besides  14  row  gallies. — 

The  American  fleet  was  composed  of  the  Ship  Saratoga  —  brig 
Eagle,  schooner  Ticonderoga,  and  sloop  Preble,  &  10  row  gallies.— 
The  action  commenced  at  fifteen  minutes  before  nine  o'clock  and 
ceased  20  minutes  past  n  A.  M. —  one  hour  and  20  minutes  close 
action.  The  brig  Eagle  sustained  the  fire  of  the  Confiance  until 
that  ship  came  within  shot  of  the  Saratoga's  carronades,  she  then 
engaged  the  enemy's  brig  the  Linnet.  One  hour  after  the  action 
the  ship  Confiance  struck  her  flag,  and  therefore  the  Saratoga  turned 
her  shot  against  the  Linnet,  but  to  the  astonishment  of  Com.  Mc- 
Donough  it  was  again  hoisted.  The  cables  of  the  commodore's 
ship  being  then  cut  she  wore  round  on  her  spring,  her  larbord  side 
engaging  the  enemy- —  as  the  guns  of  the  starbord  side  were  nearly 
all  rendered  unfit  for  service  from  the  heavy  fire  of  the  enemy. 
Even  then  by  the  loss  of  men,  the  guns  could  not  be  sufficiently 
manned  until  Cap*  Youngs  placed  his  marines  to  them,  who  himself 
took  command  of  a  long  24  which  was  soon  afterwards  dismounted  — 
he  afterwards,  with  only  four  of  his  men,  turned  to  a  32  pound 
carronade,  which  besides  attending  to  the  orders  of  the  commodore, 
he  attended  to  during  the  action. 

After  the  enemy's  ship  struck  the  second  time,  Captain  Youngs 
was  ordered  on  board;  (no  other  of  the  enemy  ceased  firing)  and 
brought  her  commanding  officer  to  the  commodore. 

In  the  coarse  of  the  action  Midshipman  Platt,  who  was  conveying 
orders  to  a  part  of  the  fleet  in  an  open  boat,  with  his  whole  crew 
sunk,  by  an  eighteen  pound  shot  from  the  enemy.  However,  they 
were  picked  up  afterwards  clinging  to  the  wreck. 

A  shot  afterwards  carryed  away  the  spanker  boom  from  over 
Com.  M.c.  Donough's  head  as  he  was  stooping  to  sight  a  gun  —  and 
the  same  shot  mortally  wounded  M^  Barron,  the  pilot  of  the  ship, 
who  was  standing  behind  him. 

After  the  action,  Com.  Macdonough  exclaimed  "  I  thank  the 
Almighty  for  this  victory. "- 

The  enemy's  sloop  the  Finch,  in  nearing  Crabb  Island,  was  engaged 
by  the  land  battery,  constructed  there,  which  done  very  great 
execution.  Threw  her  on  a  shoal  and  made  her  strike  her  flag, 
besides  keeping  the  gunboats  off,  which  were  bearing  down  in  that 
direction.  This  land  battery  contributed  much  to  the  success  of 
the  fleet. — 


1  Words  in  italics  and  inclosed  in  brackets  are  erased  in  original  manuscript. 

56 


Political  Conditions  in  America  and  Europe 

BY    RICHARD    E.    DAY 

THE  view  that  America  engaged  in  "  the  second  war 
for  independence  "  in  order  to  vindicate  the  policy 
of  international  neutrality  commended  in  the  fare 
well  address  of  Washington  wants  completeness;  but  the 
influence  of  Washington's  warning  can  be  traced  in  the 
events  preceding  that  war.  A  war  for  independence  it 
was,  but  the  American  idea  of  independence  included  the 
liberty  of  the  young  republic  to  pursue  its  way  outside 
the  circle^of  European  political  interests.  It  was  a  war 
for  commercial  freedom,  but  the  assaults  on  American 
trade  and  navigation  which  engendered  it  were  provoked 
in  part  by  the  determination  of  this  country  "  to  steer 
clear  of  permanent  alliances  with  any  portion  of  the 
foreign  world." 

Washington's  administration  gave  an  impulse  to  the 
doctrine  that  a  nation  has  equal  obligations  toward 
states  with  which  it  is  at  peace  and  the  right  to  work  out 
its  destiny,  unmolested  by  nations  with  which  it  has 
sought  no  quarrel.  The  rights  of  citizens  of  neutral 
powers  were  presented  in  the  state  communications 
which  attended  the  contest  of  the  government  with 
Genet  and  its  resistance  to  the  assumptions  and  encroach 
ments  of  England.  The  value  of  this  early  statement  in 
the  development  of  principles  of  neutrality  is  recognized 
by  writers  on  the  law  of  nations.  The  Jay  treaty, 
belonging  to  the  same  period,  was  intended  to  arrest 
British  trespasses  on  the  rights  of  a  neutral  state,  as  well 
as  to  settle  outstanding  difficulties. 

During  the  administration  of  President  Adams,  the 
policy  of  Washington  was  confirmed.  The  Jay  treaty 
had  keenly  offended  the  French  people.  The  Directory, 
charging  that  its  provisions  violated  the  Franco-American 
treaty  of  1778,  entered  on  a  course  of  insult  and  aggres 
sion.  This  state  of  affairs  was  the  heritage  of  John 

57 


Adams.  The  French  government  could  not  have  selected 
a  less  suitable  person  at  whom  to  direct  its  demands  for 
an  apology,  a  loan  and  a  gift  of  money.  The  nation  of 
which  he  was  the  executive  head  was  not  more  sub 
missive.  Congress  and  the  navy,  each  in  its  sphere, 
effectively  asserted  the  purpose  of  the  United  States  to 
remain  detached  from  the  colossal  strife  into  which 
Europe  was  precipitated  by  the  French  Revolution. 

The  course  of  Thomas  Jefferson  toward  the  policy  of 
noninterference  illustrates  the  potency  of  the  precedent, 
while  it  furnishes  a  study  in  the  educating  influence  of 
responsibility.  In  1789  he  returned  from  Europe,  sat 
urated  with  Gallic  ideas;  and,  when  France  was  launched 
on  its  career  of  conflict,  he  was  persuaded  that  Americans 
were  obliged  in  honor  and  interest  to  make  common 
cause  with  their  former  ally.  Early  in  his  first  term  as 
President,  so  far  freed  from  illusions  regarding  the  nature 
of  the  objects  which  France  had  in  view,  he  professed  a 
disposition  to  accept  an  offensive  alliance  with  England, 
and  employed  this  threat  to  weaken  the  clutch  of  the 
First  Consul  on  Louisiana.  Jefferson  was  so  well  satis 
fied  that  the  exclusion  of  France  from  Louisiana  was  an 
end  of  vital  importance  to  the  West  and  the  South  that 
he  was  willing,  for  its  sake,  to  sacrifice  the  shreds  of  his 
earlier  sympathies.  But  the  command  of  the  Mississippi, 
with  the  imperial  territory  of  which  it  is  the  artery, 
passed  to  the  United  States  without  recourse  to  arms; 
and  the  nation  reverted  to  the  policy  of  Washington. 

In  1803,  after  a  brief  pause  in  hostilities,  England  and 
France  drew  the  sword  again.  Profiting  by  the  injury 
to  their  trade  and  merchant  marine,  American  commerce 
sprang  to  the  fore.  The  awakened  jealousy  of  those 
nations,  in  union  with  the  passionate  conviction  of 
Englishmen  and  Frenchmen  that  all  mankind  was  bound 
to  participate  in  their  tremendous  strife,  led  to  flagrant 
interference  with  American  ships,  and,  on  England's 

58 


part,  to  seizures  of  sailors.  England  contended  that 
desertions  from  her  navy  were  encouraged  by  Americans, 
and  that  many  of  her  subjects  were  serving  on  ships  of 
this  country.  American  theories  of  naturalization  and 
asylum,  then  new  to  the  mind  of  Europe,  were  to  wait  a 
long  time  for  general  acknowledgment.  The  offenses  in 
question  were  perhaps  resented  as  much  as  those  haughty 
decrees  and  orders,  issued  by  the  combatants,  by  which 
each  declared  the  other's  ports  to  be  in  a  state  of  blockade 
and  interdicted  trade  with  its  enemy. 

Jefferson  had  opportunity  to  terminate  the  encroach 
ments  of  Great  Britain  and  obtain  an  indirect  protection 
of  our  vessels  by  entering  into  engagements  with  that 
power  which  the  Erench  would  have  regarded  as  tanta 
mount  to  an  alliance.  He  declined  those  engagements. 
As  his  administration  began  with  measures  to  reduce 
the  navy,  he  was  in  no  position  to  guard  our  imperiled 
commerce  with  American  guns.  But  he  was  not  without 
resources.  If  foreign  trade  should  be  suppressed  by  act 
of  Congress,  no  exercise  of  force  or  diplomacy  in  its 
behalf  would  be  needful;  that  is  the  policy  which  he 
espoused.  By  means  of  the  embargo,  American  ships 
were  restrained  from  leaving  port,  and  a  like  restriction 
was  laid  on  goods.  This  form  of  retaliation  might  have 
been  construed  as  a  hostile  proceeding  by  other  countries 
affected,  as  it  involved  the  withdrawal  of  privilege  and 
intercourse  long  enjoyed.  Unfriendly  it  seemed  to  New 
England,  whose  export  and  carrying  business  was  sacri 
ficed.  It  contained  the  seeds  of  sectional  disaffection, 
which  were  to  produce  a  baleful  harvest  a  few  years  later. 
But  it  was  an  expedient  for  preserving  American  neu 
trality,  and  for  that  reason  might  claim  some  support 
from  Washington's  policy.  Jefferson's  successor  had  a 
more  difficult  task.  Negative  war  had  failed ;  something 
aggressive  must  be  tried.  Under  Madison  the  country 
moved  unsteadily  toward  an  appeal  to  arms.  Madison 

59 


Photo  by  Mrs  Bakcr 

General  Woolsey  homestead,  Cumberland  head 

was  a  constructive  thinker,  whose  share  in  the  federal 
constitution  insures  him  a  perpetuity  of  fame,  but  a 
master  of  other  powers  was  required  if  war  was  to  be 
prevented  or  waged  to  a  compensating  close.  He  was 
altogether  ill-suited  to  match  the  craft  and  dissimulation 
of  Bonaparte,  whose  purpose  was  to  irritate  America  by 
constant  offenses  and  produce  the  impression  that  his 
real  inclination  was  to  conciliate  her  regard. 

It  may  be  asked  why  the  United  States  fought  England 
rather  than  France,  or  why  we  engaged  formally  in 
hostilities,  when  the  course  pursued  so  effectively  in 
1798  was  open,  namely,  to  create  a  capable  navy,  and 
employ  it  in  repelling  attacks  on  our  merchantmen, 
whenever  and  by  whomever  made.  Did  the  old  enmity 
against  the  mother  country,  combined  with  sympathy 
with  the  old  ally,  conceal  from  the  majority  of  Americans 
the  issues  of  the  European  contest?  Did  they  conceive 
that  Napoleon  Bonaparte  was  the  champion  or  the  child 
of  their  ideas,  or  that  his  system  of  rule  from  1804  to 
1814  was  anything  but  a  despotism  propped  with 
bayonets?  Many  Americans  appreciated  the  character 

60 


of  the  exertions  which  England  was  putting  forth  to 
"  shake  the  spoiler  down/'  But  a  statesman  of  Wash 
ington's  stature  was  needed  to  stay  the  drift  of  the 
young  nation  in  that  crisis;  and  no  such  interposition 
was  afforded.  The  final  impulse  to  war  was  given  by 
the  partisan  and  sectional  passions  against  which  Wash 
ington  had  issued  an  impressive  warning. 

So  far  as  war  was  undertaken  in  defense  of  the  carrying 
trade,  it  was  fought  for  the  sake  of  the  New  England 
states,  the  most  manifest  sufferers  from  foreign  vexation 
and  the  nonintercourse  acts  of  Congress.  But  partisan 
advantage  entered  so  visibly  into  the  question  of  peace 
or  war  that  the  chief  sentiment  which  sustained  the 
administration  was  furnished  outside  of  New  England, 
the  stronghold  of  Federalism.  The  Democratic-Repub 
lican  party,  while  exercising  the  powers  of  government, 
had  done  little  to  provide  an  army  and  had  shown  a 
fanatical  opposition  to  warships.  Furthermore,  in  its 


Photo  by^Mrs  Trumbul! 


Thorn's  tavern   at  Thorn's  Corners 

JMuch  desultory  fighting  took  place  in  this  vicinity 

61 


ardor  for  war,  its  opponents  detected  the  old  Jeffersonian 
leaven  of  favor  toward  the  French.  In  the  measure  in 
which  the  Republicans  became  a  war  party  the  Federal 
ists  became  a  peace  party.  The  assertion  of  state  rights, 
made  by  Kentucky  and  Virginia  in  1798,  was  assumed 
by  Massachusetts  and  the  neighboring  states  in  1812. 
States  which  were  immediately  exposed  to  invasion  from 
Canada  took  the  position  that  the  principal  business  of 
their  militia  was  to  protect  their  own  borders,  one 
consequence  of  which  was  that  this  business  was  left  to 
them  for  the  most  part,  another  consequence  being  that 
offensive  enterprises  were  weakened,  and  measures  to 
repel  foreign  invasion  embarrassed.  In  1814  a  militia 
draft  bill  in  Congress,  providing  80,000  troops  for  the 
defense  of  the  United  States,  met  energetic  opposition. 
Even  a  representative  from  New  York  declared  that  "  he 
would  not  give  any  supplies  to  the  government  for  the 
conquest  of  Canada;  but,  if  our  army  was  withdrawn 
from  that  country,  and  the  project  of  conquest  relin 
quished,  he  would  go  as  far  as  any  gentleman  to  raise 
men  and  money  for  defense."  The  same  representative 
expressed  the  hope  that  the  people  would  resist  con 
scription.  So  far  were  we  then  from  being  a  nation! 

In  the  same  spirit,  private  citizens  in  the  centers  of 
capital  refused  to  lend  money  to  the  almost  bankrupt 
government;  subscriptions  to  its  loans  were  discouraged 
and  denounced;  and  attacks  were  made  on  the  credit  of 
banks  which  responded  to  national  appeals  for  support. 

The  division  of  sentiment  was  widened  by  the  increas 
ing  antipathy  of  northern  men  to  slavery.  The  attitude 
of  southern  men  to  that  institution  was  changing.  It 
had  been  largely  one  of  deprecation  and  apology.  It 
was  being  transformed  to  one  of  ardent  advocacy.  In 
1812  the  antagonism  was  sufficiently  acute  to  impress 
itself  on  national  issues,  even  such  as  involved  the  fame 
and  integrity  of  the  Union.  The  communities  in  which 

62 


slavery  was  becoming  extinct  viewed  with  apprehension 
every  movement  which  tended  to  enhance  the  power  and 
prestige  of  the  South,  and  indulged  a  feeling  that  a  pro 
nounced  victory  for  America  would  be  essentially  a 
slaveholders'  triumph.  Antislavery  men  were  suspicious 
that  influences  at  Washington  were  really  unfavorable 
to  the  conquest  of  Canada,  since  its  annexation  would 
add  a  large  free  soil  territory  to  the  Republic  and  destroy 
the  predominance  of  the  slave  states.  They  pointed  to 
the  employment  of  indifferent  officers  at  the  head  of 
the  army  as  evidence  of  a  purpose  to  wage  a  war  of  mere 
annoyance  against  the  Canadians. 

The  disaffection  of  New  England  operated  strongly  to 
induce  peace  when  the  commissioners  met  at  Ghent  in 
August  of  1814.     The  threat  of  secession  which  the  slave 
interests  held  over  free  soil  men  for  forty  years  before 
giving  it  effect,  was  used  in  the  northeastern  division  of 
this  country  to  compel  a  termination  of  the  war.     The 
blockade  maintained   by   British  ships  against  Atlantic 
ports  had  been  a  source  of  intense  suffering  to  the  mercan 
tile  classes.     Expression  was  finally  given  to  the  spirit 
of  opposition  in  the  Hartford  convention,  called  by  the 
Massachusetts  Legislature      This  assembly  was  destined 
to    an    unhappy    immortality.     Robert    Y.    Hayne,    of 
South    Carolina,    in    his    debate    with    Daniel    Webster, 
stigmatized  its  objects  in  the  following  description:  "  to 
keep  back  the  men  and  money  of  New  England  from  the 
service  of  the  Union,   and  to  effect  radical   changes  in 
the  government  —  changes   that  can  never  be   effected 
without  a  dissolution  of  the  Union."     From  the  accusa 
tions  and  admissions  which  attended   that  convention, 
it  has  been  gathered   that  the   Federalist  leaders  were 
prepared,  if  they  judged  it  necessary,  to  propose  that  the 
federal  fabric  be  dissolved  and  a  northern  confederacy 
erected.     The    immediate    effect    of    their    action    was 
favorable  to  the  sheathing  of  the  sword. 

63 


The  defeat  of  a  powerful  invading  armament  at 
Plattsburg  and  the  repulse  of  the  expedition  against 
Baltimore  still  further  disposed  the  minds  of  Americans  to 
consider  peace.  These  events  had  given  luster  to  their  arms, 
and  were  accepted  as  an  offset  to  campaigns  which  had 
proved  fruitless,  though  eminently  marked  by  successes 

in  single  actions. 
At  this  time  most 
of  the  domain  over 
run  by  the  enemy 
had  been  recovered, 
the  important  excep 
tion  being  territory 
between  the  Penob- 
scot  and  the  St  Croix, 
over  which  a  British 
governor  had  been 
appointed.  If  the 
army,  on  which 
Madison  had  relied 
for  the  reduction  of 
Canada,  had  not 
been  able  to  keep 
American  soil  every 
where  inviolate,  the 
navy,  from  which  he 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 


Cellar  of  Guv  Dunham  house 


Wounded  in  battle  taken  in  this  door.     Original 
wide  clap  boards  still  in  place 


expected  little,  had 
achieved  a  nearly 
unbroken  succession 
of  victories  on  the  element  which  Britain  had  pro 
nounced  her  own. 

The  condition  of  Europe  had  a  pacific  influence.  The 
abdication  of  Napoleon  and  his  retirement  to  Elba 
brought  relief  to  the  powers  after  twenty  years  of  ago 
nized  conflict.  The  exhausting  drain  on  their  energies  has 
not  been  repaired  to  this  day,  but  is  revealed  to  the 

64 


student  of  social  welfare  in  public  debt,  depressing  pov 
erty  and  lowered  standards  of  physique.  England,  the 
center  of  that  long  resistance  to  Napoleon  —  a  personal 
ity  grown  too  mighty  for  the  good  of  humanity -- need 
ed  repose.  Content  with  preserving  her  colonial  empire 
against  our  armies,  convinced  by  those  exhibitions  of 
courage  and  endurance  of  which  the  Battle  of  Plattsburg 
was  a  type  that  this  country  was  practically  unconquer 
able,  it  was  important  to  her  as  well  as  to  America  to 
turn  again  to  the  neglected  arts  of  peace.  The  right  of 
impressment,  inherent  in  the  definition  of  a  subject  as 
she  framed  it,  could  not  then  be  abandoned;  but,  with 
the  cessation  of  the  European  conflict,  the  necessity  for 
its  exercise  ceased.  The  orders  in  council,  by  which 
American  commerce  was  so  grievously  harassed,  had  been 
repealed  in  1812.  Great  Britain's  commissioners  at 
Ghent  put  forward  some  exorbitant  requirements,  pro 
viding  for  a  surrender  of  American  territory,  British 


Photo  by^Mrs.Trumbull 

Guy  Dunham  house, 'now  Dod els' house,  northeast  corner  of  Oak 
and  Court  streets 

65 


control  of  frontier  waters  and  the  concession  to  the 
Indian  tribes  of  inalienable  rights  in  the  soil  which  they 
occupied;  but  these  pretensions  were  relinquished. 
Happily  for  the  United  States,  the  commission  which 
represented  it  in  the  negotiations  comprised  several  men 
of  superior  talent  and  sagacity. 

For  a  time  a  continuance  of  the  war  looked  probable, 
by  reason  of  a  diplomatic  deadlock.  Englishmen 
believed  that  an  eagerness  to  aid  Napoleon  at  an  import 
ant  juncture  had  caused  the  declaration  of  war  by  the 
United  States;  and  the  time  seemed  fitting  to  punish 
American  presumption,  as  well  as  to  restore  the  prestige 
which  Macdonough's  victory  had  impaired.  Some  mem 
bers  of  the  ministry  at  London  advised  the  sending  of 
Wellington,  with  his  newly  disengaged  veterans,  across 
the  ocean.  Why  was  that  step  not  taken?  And  why 
was  Wellington's  counsel  adverse  to  the  proposal?  An 
influential  reason  may  be  found  in  the  aspect  of  European 
affairs  at  the  close  of  1814.  At  Paris  the  restored  dynasty 
had  begun  its  work  of  reestablishing  much  that  was 
hateful  to  a  generation  of  Frenchmen  which  it  did  not 
understand.  At  Vienna  the  master  minds  of  reaction 
were  employed  in  securing  the  old  order,  upbuilding  the 
monarchies  which  the  armies  of  France  had  prostrated 
and  devising  means  for  her  humiliation.  On  an  island 
in  the  Mediterranean,  the  exiled  emperor  was  watching 
the  effect  on  the  French  people  of  that  course  of  retro 
gression  and  revenge,  pursued  in  enmity  to  the  revolu 
tion  as  well  as  to  the  empire.  What  was  more  than  a 
possibility  then,  his  return  from  Elba  and  resumption 
of  his  old  place,  was  to  be  a  fact  in  three  months.  Wise 
Englishmen  reckoned  with  this  probability  and  the 
demands  which  it  would  lay  on  the  military  strength  of 
England.  There  was  other  business  ahead  for  Welling 
ton  than  to  unsheathe  his  sword  against  Americans. 


66 


That  record  which  "  never  shall  be  shamed  "  was  not 
to  be  heightened  or  dimmed  in  the  New  World,  but  to  be 
clothed  with  new  light  at  Waterloo. 

The  freedom  of  the  United  States  to  refuse  alliances 
which  are  not  recommended  by  its  interests  was  estab 
lished  by  the  War  of  1812.  The  principles  of  the  first 
national  administration  touching  the  rights  of  neutrals 
were  upheld  at  immense  cost,  thus  attaining  to  a  con 
sideration  by  virtue  of  which  they  control  the  practice 
of  civilized  communities  in  an  ever  ascending  degree. 
Finally,  in  vindicating  those  principles,  the  young 
republic  achieved  its  independence,  never  thoroughly 
conceded  before  by  the  nation  from  which  it  sprang  or 
the  power  with  which  it  was  once  allied  in  arms. 


Photo  by^Miss  Weaver 

Scene    of    Macdonough's   victory   in    Plattsburg    bay. 
Cumberland  head 


View   from 


On  Board  the  "Saratoga" 

Tuesday  I3th  Sept.  1814 

DEAR  DAD  —  I  oft  have  heard  you  tell 
How  many  fought,  how  many  fell, 
And  how  the  foe  you  drubbed  well, 
On  the  plains  of  Saratoga. 

It's  now  my  turn  with  pride  to  boast, 
We  conquered  Britain's  warlike  host; 
On  Champlain's  lake  we  rule  the  roast, 
On  board  the  Saratoga. 

At  nine  A.  M.  on  Sunday  morn 
The  mighty  foe  approached  in  form, 
And  viewed  us  with  contempt  and  scorn 
On  board  the  Saratoga. 

How  frequently  I've  heard  you  say, 
That  those  who  fight  ought  oft  to  pray: 
Our  Commodore  did  both  that  day 
On  board  the  Saratoga. 

Then  with  the  Christian's  hope  we  fought 
Nor  ought  of  fear  or  danger  thought, 
But  death  or  victory  we  sought 
On  board  the  Saratoga. 

The  battle  rag'd  for  near  three  hours, 
When  aided  by  the  Almighty  powers 
We  claim'd  the  enemy  as  ours 
On  board  the  Saratoga. 

O  had  you  seen  the  sore  dismay 
Of  poor  Sir  George,  who  ran  away, 
And  bitterly  he  curs'd  the  day 
He  saw  the  Saratoga. 


68 


Then  brave  Macomb  hung  on  his  rear. 
For  our  firesides  we've  naught  to  fear 
Whilst  heroes  to  their  country  dear 
Command  our  forts,  our  vessels  steer; 
Success  will  still  crown  their  career, 
And  Sailor's  Rights,  and  Free  Trade's  cheer, 
Shall  be  extended  far  and  near, 
Whilst  patriots  yet  unborn  shall  hear 
The  fame  of  the  Saratoga. 

And  now  let  Saratoga's  name 
Be  niched  in  thy  temple's  fame; 
By  land  or  water  be  it  bless'd, 
By  all  admired,  by  all  confess'd, 
And  while  for  Gates  the  harp's  unstrung, 
Macdonough's  glory  shall  be  sung, 
For  he  the  British  Lion  stung 
On  board  the  Saratoga. 

Records  of  the  Governor  and  Council  of  the  State  of  Vermont.    V.  6. 


; 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 


Historic  houses  on  Broad  street 


East  of  Winchell  road  over  which  British  marched  to  upper  bridge,  (i)  Winchel 
house;  (2)  John  Nichols  house;  (3)  Edward  Hunter's  inn.  I  and  3  originally  wood 
now  veneered 


69 


The    Valuable    Services  of  the  Militia    and 
Volunteers 

BY   JAMES    AUSTIN    HOLDEN 

THE  services  of  the  militia  and  the  land  forces  at  the 
Battle  of  Plattsburg  have  usually  been  regarded 
and  rated  by  historians  as  a  negligible  quantity  in 
deciding  the  result.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  the 
land  battle  of  September  nth  deserves  at  least  honorary 
mention  in  detailing  the  results  achieved  in  that  splendid 
double  victory  on  land  and  water.  That  a  handful  of 
regulars,  supported  by  undisciplined  and  poorly  armed 
militiamen,  not  overenthusiastic  to  get  killed,  but  still 
decidedly  patriotic,  could  hold  at  bay  for  several  days  a 
force  three  times  their  number,  made  up  of  the  seasoned 
and  hardened  veterans  who,  under  the  mighty  Duke  of 
Wellington,  had  fought  with  and  conquered  the  hitherto 
successful  armies  of  Napoleon  and  France  on  European 
battlegrounds,  would  seem  in  itself  to  be  worthy  of 
comment  in  the  standard  histories,  if  not  of  more  serious 
attention  by  the  so-called  historians  themselves. 

The  facts,  to  restate  them  for  the  sake  of  the 
argument,  are  about  as  follows:  For  some  time  an 
invasion  from  the  north  along  the  plans  of  the  old 
Burgoyne  campaign,  had  been  threatened.  Just  as  the 
time  for  this  was  ripe,  and  spies  had  advised  the  Platts 
burg  military  authorities  of  its  imminence,  the  authori 
ties  at  Washington,  in  spite  of  the  protests  of  the  local 
commanding  officer  and  ignoring  Governor  Tompkins, 
ordered  Major  General  George  Izard,  with  practically 
every  effective  regular,  to  proceed  from  Plattsburg  to 
the  support  of  Sacketts  Harbor.  General  Izard  and  his 
command  left  Plattsburg  August  nth,  and  his  going 
was  duly  reported  to  General  Prevost  by  the  spies  of  the 
English,  who  were  as  thick  in  the  American  camp  as 
those  of  the  Americans  were  in  the  British. 


The  plans  of  the  English  commander  were  rapidly 
brought  to  a  head,  and  his  army  of  invasion  of  14,000 
men  was  set  in  motion,  to  cooperate  with  the  proposed 
naval  attack  under  Captain  Downie,  referred  to  else 
where  in  this  booklet.  Brigadier  General  Alexander 
Macomb,  the  regular  commanding  officer  in  the  American 
forces,  had  in  camp  only  about  2100  officers  and  men 
able  to  do  duty,  about  1400  others  being  confined  in 
the  hospitals.  Without  waiting  for  any  red-tape  orders, 
New  York's  local  military  representative,  Major  General 
Benjamin  Mooers,  at  once  warned  out  the  militia  of 
the  neighboring  counties,  those  of  Clinton,  Essex,  Warren, 
Washington  and  Saratoga  being  called  out  en  masse.  A 
general  call  for  militiamen  was  also  sent  throughout  the 
eastern  and  southern  parts  of  the  State,  so  that  it  is 
stated  that  for  some  days  after  the  battle  the  roads  to 
Plattsburg  were  black  with  companies  and  regiments 
marching,  in  many  cases  without  arms  or  ammunition 
or  equipments,  to  the  scene  of  the  conflict.  News 
traveled  slowly  in  those  days,  and  it  was  some  time  after 
the  victory  had  been  won  before  it  was  generally  known. 
Our  sister  state  of  Vermont  responded  nobly  to  the  call 
for  volunteers,  sending  of  her  best  and  bravest,  General 
Samuel  Strong  with  2500  militiamen,  who,  according  to 
the  official  papers  of  the  state,  did  splendid  service  in 
the  face  of  overwhelming  odds.  To  Major  General 
Mooers's  call,  about  700  of  the  Essex  and  Clinton  county 
men  responded  immediately.  This  gave  a  total  of 
effectives,  regulars  and  volunteers,  of  about  5300  Ameri 
cans  as  against  14,000  British. 

It  was  the  appearance  of  New  York  cavalry  under 
Captain  Sperry  with  200  regulars  and  two  field  pieces, 
that  caused  the  first  pause  of  the  advancing  British  army 
at  Sampson's  on  the  night  of  September  5th.  The  next 
day  the  general  British  advance  began.  At  the  first 
skirmish  at  Beekmantown,  about  dawn  of  that  day,  the 

72 


militia  broke  and  sped  toward  Plattsburg,  but  the  regu 
lars  stood  firm  according  to  the  published  accounts. 
The  militiamen,  however,  soon  gathered  back  of  a  stone 
wall,  where  a  short  but  severe  fight  took  place,  until 
the  overwhelming  force  of  the  enemy  caused  the  retreat 
of  Wool's  small  force  of  regulars  and  the  militia.  At 
Halsey's  Corners,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Platts 
burg  bridge,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  occurred 
the  third  encounter,  when  Wool's  infantry  and  a  small 
body  of  militia,  backed  up  by  Captain  Leonard's  two 
small  pieces  of  artillery,  caused  a  check  and  inflicted 
considerable  loss  on  the  foe,  which  finally,  charging 
with  the  bayonet,  compelled  a  hasty  retreat  of  the  small 
American  forces,  who  however,  saved  their  big  guns  for 
future  use.  Other  skirmishes  in  which  considerable  loss 
was  inflicted  on  the  British  occurred  during  that  day. 
It  is  generally  conceded  that  Aiken's  boy  volunteers  of 
Plattsburg,  who  were  stationed  in  the  old  stone  mill, 
were  principally  responsible  for  preventing  the  passage 
of  the  Saranac  by  the  light  troops  of  the  British.  The 
passage  of  the  upper  bridge,  which  had  been  destroyed 
and  the  timbers  used  for  breastworks  by  General  Mooers, 
was  ably  disputed  by  these  volunteer  forces.  Great 
efforts  were  made  by  the  British  to  force  a  passage  by 
this  point,  but  it  is  stated  that  Mooers  and  his  men 
stood  so  firm  that  the  enemy  could  not  cross  the  stream 
and  therefore  were  obliged  to  go  into  camp.  Prevost's 
loss  since  morning  had  been  over  200  men,  while  that 
of  the  Americans  did  not  exceed  45.  Skirmishes  and 
preparations  occupied  the  intervening  time  until  the 
nth.  On  that  eventful  day  the  engagements  on  land 
and  water  began  almost  at  the  same  time.  Amid  the 
shriek  of  shot  and  shell,  the  heavy  columns  of  the  British 
moved  against  the  small  forces  of  the  American  volun 
teers.  At  the  upper  bridge  every  passage  was  success 
fully  disputed  by  the  militia  and  regular  riflemen  and 
pickets.  At  the  upper  ford  the  Clinton  and  Essex  forces, 

73 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 


Site  of  Col.  Thomas  Miller  homestead 
Here,  side  by  side  with  British  officers,  Mrs  Miller  watched  the  tide  of  battle 

under  Major  General  Mooers  and  Brigadier  General 
Wright,  after  driving  back  with  considerable  loss  the 
advancing  British,  were  compelled  to  retire  before  the 
superior  forces  of  the  latter,  but  soon  rallied  and  drew  up 
in  battle  array  on  the  higher  ground,  being  supported 
by  a  part  of  the  artillery  and  a  large  detachment  of 
Vermont  volunteers.  Just  at  this  time  word  was  brought 
by  a  courier,  afterwards  the  famous  Chancellor  Wai- 
worth  of  Saratoga  Springs,  that  Macdonough  had  won 
and  the  British  fleet  had  surrendered.  This  practically 
ended  the  land  battle,  Prevost  retiring  in  great  haste. 
As  one  historian  puts  it,  "  It  was  a  wise  determination, 
notwithstanding  his  number  was  overwhelming;  Prevost 
was  really  in  peril.  He  might  have  crushed  Macomb 
and  captured  the  post  at  Plattsburg,  but  it  would  have 
been  at  the  expense  of  many  lives  without  obtaining  any 
permanent  advantage.  The  British  had  lost  the  lake  abso 
lutely,  and  without  any  fair  promise  of  its  recovery;  and 
the  militia  of  all  that  region  were  thoroughly  aroused." 

74 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 

Home   of    Reuben    Hyde    Walworth    (later   Chancellor   Walworth) 

Saber  marks  visible  on  newel  post  of  stairs.       Shot  holes  found  in  recent  alterations 
in  walls,  the  shot  hidden  in  outer  walls 

In  this  connection,  it  may  be  well  to  quote  the  follow 
ing  from  the  History  of  Washington  County,  by  the  late 
William  L.  Stone,  regarding  the  value  of  the  work  of 
the  militia  at  this  time;  his  remarks  being  based  on  the 
opinions  of  the  late  Dr  Austin  W.  Holden,  the  historian 
of  Queensbury  and  Warren  county,  and  those  of  Chancel 
lor  Walworth,  whose  views  on  the  question  had  often 
been  expressed  to  Mr  Stone,  by  that  capable  authority: 

Meanwhile  the  tidings  of  the  invasion  swept  like  a 
tornado  through  northern  New  York.  Speaking  of  the 
manner  in  which  these  tidings  were  received,  Johnson 
writes  that  "the  War  of  1812  was  a  dreary,  dragging, 
dwindling  contest,  marked  alike  by  the  extreme  apathy 
of  the  people."  On  the  contrary,  Dr  A.  W.  Holden,  in 
his  centennial  address  —  from  which  I  have  before 
quoted  —  says  that  "  the  militia  promptly  responded  - 
Washington  and  Warren  counties  being  almost  depopu 
lated  of  their  male  citizens."  Of  these  two  somewhat 
contradictory  opinions,  I  am,  however  (with  all  due 
deference  to  Johnson,  to  whose  valuable  history  of 
Washington  county  I  have  constantly  given  credit) 

75 


inclined  to  the  opinion  of  Dr  Holden.  The  success  of 
the  American  troops  was  due,  as  Dr  Holden  remarks, 
in  a  great  degree  to  the  boldness,  daring  and  bravery  of 
the  militia  who,  in  the  language  of  their  opponents, 
"  did  not  know  enough  to  run,"  and  who,  from  "  the 
rent  and  bloody  fragments  of  a  signal  defeat/'  gathered 
the  laurels  of  a  signal  victory. 

In  writing  history  we  are  all  too  prone  to  reason  from 
the  effect  to  the  cause,  and  so  confirm  our  preconceived 
opinions,  regardless  of  the  facts.  In  summing  up  the 
case  for  the  militia  at  Plattsburg,  therefore,  that  they 
were  poorly  armed  must  be  admitted,  for  the  official 
reports  show  it.  That  they  were  undisciplined  and  not 
reliable  in  battle  is  also  true,  as  it  has  been  true  of  every 
militia  organization  in  the  history  of  the  country,  from 
the  beginning  until  within  the  last  quarter  of  a  century. 
In  this  connection  it  may  be  said  that  one  of  the  first 
persons  to  agitate  the  placing  of  the  militia  on  a  par 
with  the  regular  army  was  that  patriotic,  talented,  able 
and  self-sacrificing  officer,  one  of  the  greatest  of  New 
York's  great  war  Governors,  Daniel  D.  Tompkins,  who, 
in  his  official  report  to  the  Legislature,  under  date  of 
Albany,  September  8,  1814,  recommends  a  plan  for  placing 
the  militia  upon  the  same  plane  as  the  regular  army  as  to 
organization,  discipline  and  equipment,  and  at  the  same 
time  provide  for  our  national  defense  a  standing  militia 
army  of  about  20,000  men.  It  has  taken  nearly  a  cen 
tury  to  bring  about  a  realization  of  Governor  Tompkins's 
ideas  as  to  a  State  militia  cooperating  with  the  regular 
army.  In  view  of  the  fact  of  the  many  disabilities 
which  attached  to  militia  organizations  in  those  days, 
the  dispraise  which  has  been  given  them  does  not  appear 
to  be  warranted,  and  the  fact  that  they  fought  as  well 
as  they  did,  and  accomplished  as  much  as  they  did, 
entitles  them  to  some  of  the  honors  which  have  been 
repeatedly  bestowed  upon  the  regulars  and  the  fleet, 
for  their  share  in  this  action. 

76 


The  following  taken  from  an  official  letter  to  Governor 
Tompkins,  a  copy  of  which  was  secured  before  the 
burning  of  the  State  Library,  and  while  the  Tompkins 
manuscripts  were  still  in  existence,  gives  Major  General 
Benjamin  Mooers  's  personal  and  official  opinion  of  the 
acts  performed  by  the  militia  at  this  time.  The  letter 
is  dated  Plattsburg,  September  16,  1814: 

On  the  first  appearance  of  the  enemy  I  issued  an  order 
to  call  out  the  militia  of  Clinton  and  Essex  (/(.oth  brigade) 
and  soon  after  of  my  whole  (3d)  division. 

Their  promptness  in  turning  out  both  in  Clinton  and 
Essex  entitled  both  officers  and  privates  with  few  excep 
tions  to  the  thanks  and  gratitude  of  their  country,  as 
was  likewise  the  case  in  every  other  county  and  district 
which  has  been  called  on.  A  general  spirit  of  active 
patriotism  seems  to  have  pervaded  throughout.  It  was 
particularly  conspicuous  in  the  neighboring  counties  of 
Vermont,  whose  vicinity  enabled  them  to  yield  us  a 
most  prompt  and  effectual  assistance.  .  .  . 

After  explaining  the  disposition  of  the  troops  which 
attacked  at  dawn,  General  Mooers  reports: 

There  was  a  portion  of  the  militia  that  could  not  be 
rallied  and  some  of  these  retired  immediately  to  their 
homes.  Some  part  of  the  militia  behaved  on  this  occa 
sion  as  well  as  since  with  the  greatest  gallantry  and  not 
surpassed  in  courage  and  usefulness  by  the  regulars  on 
that  day. 

Too  much  praise  can  not  be  given  Ma  jr.  Wool  for  his 
cool  and  intrepid  conduct  and  to  the  officers  and  soldiers 
under  him.  The  artillery  before  mentioned  were  posted 
about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  in  advance  of  the  Court 
House,  though  I  had  sent  two  expresses  to  have  it  moved 
up  to  our  support,  nor  did  it  come  into  action  until  I 
called  on  Capt.  Leonard,  the  officer  commanding  it,  and 
earnestly  requesting  him  to  move  forward  to  the  turn  of 
the  road  with  two  of  his  pieces  about  half  a  mile  in  advance 
of  where  he  then  lay.  He  had  only  an  opportunity  to 
make  three  or  four  discharges  from  each  gun  before  we 
were  obliged  to  retire  through  the  village.  Had  he 
advanced  as  was  expected  to  a  place  called  Culver's 

77 


Hill  about  five  miles  out  of  the  village,  the  enemy  could 
not  have  advanced  without  a  much  greater  loss. 

The  militia  retreated  over  the  River  Saranac  and  lined 
the  south  bank  and  disputed  the  passage  of  the  river. 

After  this  I  made  my  headquarters  at  Salmon  River 
and  until  the  nth  there  was  continual  skirmishing  with 
the  enemy. 

The  militia  had  eight  or  nine  miles  on  the  river  to  guard. 

The  most  westerly 
pass  is  a  road  run 
ning  north  and  south 
and  a  bridge  across 
the  river  which  we 
had  destroyed. 

The  remainder  of 
his  letter  is  taken 
up  with  a  description 
of  the  intervening 
skirmishes  and  the 
battle  of  the  nth. 
General  Mooers  goes 
on  to  say: 

Our  militia  have 
behaved  throughout 
extremely  well  ex 
cept  on  the  first  day 
and  then  not  so  bad 
as  Genl.  Ma  comb 
has  represented  in 
his  official  account 
which  he  read  to 
me.  He  there  men 
tions  that  all  of 
the  militia  fled 
upon  the  first  attack  notwithstanding  the  exertions 
of  the  general  and  his  staff.  I  wish  the  militia  to  have 
its  due  and  no  more.  The  small  body  of  regulars,  230 
under  Majr.  Wool,  could  not  have  sustained  an  orderly 
retreat  and  continued  fighting  before  a  heavy  column  of 
the  enemy  for  nearly  seven  miles  had  not  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  militia  adhered  to  the  front  and  flanks  of 
the  enemy.  I  am  an  eye  witness  that  many  stood  their 

78 


Monument  at  Culver's  Hill 
Three  miles  north  of  Plattsburg 


ground  as  long  as  it  was  tenable,  and  continued  their 
fire  from  behind  fences,  trees,  etc.,  retarding  the  enemies 
approach  and  covering  our  retreat,  some  of  whom  instead 
of  running  too  soon  suffered  themselves  to  be  turned 
and  passed  by  them  and  afterwards  came  in  by  a  circuit 
ous  route.  These  facts  are  not  only  known  to  me  but 
to  officers  who  were  in  the  action. 

General  Mooers  being  in  command  and  on  the  ground, 
his  report  should  be  accepted  as  first-hand  evidence  and 
conclusive  as  to  the  work  of  the  militia  on  this  occasion. 

Again  a  private  letter  from  Governor  Tompkins  to 
Congressman  Jonathan  Fisk,  not  only  sets  forth  his 
feelings  as  to  the  praise  due  on  this  occasion,  but  forms  a 
fitting  conclusion  to  this  defense  of  the  Plattsburg 
militia. 

He  says,  in  effect,  that,  had  it  not  been  for  the  militia 
at  Plattsburg  and  their  brave  defense  of  that  place  and 
its  approaches,  it  would  have  been  in  the  possession  of 
General  Prevost,  the  regular  forces  being  too  small  in 
number  to  hold  it;  the  big  guns  of  Prevost's  army  would 
have  been  in  a  position  to  force  the  American  fleet  from 
the  land  side;  northern  New  York  would  have  been  part 
of  the  spoils  of  war;  and  the  entire  boundary  line  not 
only  of  New  York  State,  but  possibly  of  the  country  at 
large,  would  have  been  changed  or  modified  by  the  terms 
of  the  treaty  of  peace. 

Again  he  says  in  this  letter,  written  from  Albany 
October  3,  1814,  after  observing  "  the  pointed  neglect  of 
Genl.  Peter  B.  Porter  and  his  gallant  volunteers  in  the 
President's  Message  to  Congress": 

In  noticing  the  affair  at  Plattsburgh,  too,  the  President 
seems  carefully  to  have  avoided  the  mention  of  New  York 
or  Vermont  Militia.  At  Baltimore,  where  all  would 
have  distinguished  themselves  had  not  the  enemy 
retired  unmolested  &  safely  on  board  without  even 
being  observed,  the  praises  of  the  Militia  are  trumpeted 
forth.  But  it  is  said  that  at  Plattsburgh  the  enemy  was 
gallantly  repulsed  by  a  force,  a  part  only  of  which  was 

79 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 

Headquarters  of  General  De  Rottenburg 

Original  clapboards  showing  on  side 

regulars.  Now  it  is  well  known  that  one  column  of  the 
British  army  took  the  Beekmantown  road  &  that  this 
column  was  opposed  both  in  its  advance  &  in  its  retreat 
by  Militia  alone,  not  a  regular  being  opposed  to  that 
column.  The  regulars  had  their  strong  works  to  retire 
to  &  did  retire  to  them  upon  the  advance  of  the  other 
column  of  the  Army;  whilst  the  Militia  both  in  retreat 
&  pursuit  were  exposed  in  the  open  field  &  suffered 
most,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  ultimate  return  of  killed 
&  wounded  of  the  New  York  &  Vermont  Militia  & 
Volunteers.  It  may  be  said  that  Macdonough's  victory 
caused  the  retreat  of  the  British  land  force.  Still  that 
detracts  from  the  praise  due  the  regulars  who  were  in 
works,  more  than  it  does  from  that  due  the  Militia; 
for  the  one  was  exposed  to  field  attack,  &  pursued  the 
enemy  in  his  retreat,  &  the  other  was  in  strong  works 
&  did  not  pursue. 

Enclosed  is  an  order  of  General  Brown  which  shews 
that  even  the  Common  Militia  of  New  York  assembled  in 
haste  has  behaved  gallantly  in  the  late  sortie  at  Erie. 
The  storming  of  strong  works  by  Militia,  certainly 
demands  unbounded  applause. 

Now  with  the  exception  of  Genl.  Brown,  the  mention 

80 


Photo  by  Mrs  Baker 

Road    on    Cumberland    head,    overlooking    scene    of    battle 


of  whom  could  not  be  avoided  because  he  commanded 
the  Army  not  a  New  Yorker  is  praised  or  even  mentioned, 
&  with  respect  to  Brown,  even,  the  honor  of  the  mention 
is  greatly  impaired  by  coupling  subordinate  officers 
with  him.  Nor  is  the  patriotism,  Volunteers  nor  Militia 
of  the  State  mentioned,  altho',  at  the  time  the  President 
penned  his  message,  nearly  thirty  thousand  of  the  yeo 
manry  of  this  State  were  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  &  without  whom  two  of  their  armies  would 
probably  have  been  lost,  &  the  metropolis  of  the  State 
before  this  time  have  been  in  the  possession  of  the 
enemy. 

I  am  far  from  detracting  from  the  services  of  the  gallant 
Generals  noticed  by  the  President.  It  is  of  the  injustice 
done  to  others  by  the  omission  of  their  names  &  services 
that  I  complain. 

Should  the  complimentary  resolutions  introduced  into 
Congress  exclude  Porter  &  his  brave  comrades,  I  am 
satisfied  that  our  Legislature  will  feel  themselves  called 
upon  to  do  him  justice  by  recitals  &  resolutions  that 
will  give  you  great  men  at  Washington  a  Rowland  for 
your  Oliver. 

81 


The  Governor's  official  report,  as  set  forth  in  a  special 
message  to  the  Legislature  under  date  of  September  27, 
1814,  referred  to  the  action  of  the  militia  in  the  follow 
ing  terms:  "  It  is,  however,  due  to  the  militia  of  this 
State  to  acknowledge,  that  they  have  repaired  to  their 
country's  standard  whenever  summoned,  with  prompt 
ness  and  alacrity;  that  they  have  cheerfully  endured 
the  hardships  and  privations  of  the  camp,  and  that  they 
have  generally  conducted  themselves  in  action  with  the 
coolness  and  bravery  of  veteran  troops." 

After  the  Battle  of  Santiago  Bay,  it  is  stated  that  Com 
modore  Schley  said  to  Admiral  Sampson:  "  The  victory 
is  big  enough  for  us  all."  So  in  this  Plattsburg 
matter,  to  observe  whose  hundredth  anniversary  this 
great  function  is  being  arranged,  while  laying  the  well- 
earned  bays  of  victory  and  the  laurels  of  praise  before 
the  enshrined  memories  of  the  fleet  and  the  regulars, 
engaged  at  that  time,  let  us  also  place  a  few  memorials 
on  the  graves  of  the  New  York  and  Vermont  militiamen. 
For  it  was  their  services,  patriotic  work  and  devotion 
to  country,  which  saved  New  York  and  Vermont  their 
northern  frontiers  and  made  possible  the  one  hundred 
years  of  peace  that  have  followed. 


Halsey's  Corners 

The  fence  replaces  original  stone  wall  where  fight  took  place 
82 


Suggestions   for  Exercises  in  the  Schools  of  the  State 

WHILE  many  of  the  schools  of  the  State  begin  their 
work  on  the  Tuesday  following  Labor  day,  which 
this  year  falls  on  September  yth,  others  do  not 
open  until  October  ist.  This  precludes  the  general 
observance  of  the  centenary  of  the  Battle  of  Plattsburg, 
by  the  schools  as  a  whole.  The  following  suggestions, 
however,  are  made  with  the  hope  that  those  schools 
which  are  in  session  may  take  steps  to  observe  the  cele 
bration  of  this  important  event,  which  had  such  a  far- 
reaching  influence  upon  our  country's  history.  Under 
the  circumstances,  no  definite  program  can  be  proposed. 
The  following  hints  are  suggestive  only  and  are  given 
here  in  order  that  schools  may  use  the  plan,  or  any  part 
of  it,  as  local  conditions  may  permit. 

It  is  suggested  that  all  exercises  be  held  Friday, 
September  nth,  either  morning  or  afternoon,  as  may 
best  suit  the  convenience  of  the  school. 

For  the  rural  and  elementary  schools  it  is  recommended 
that  there  be  readings  of  selections  taken  either  from 
this  bulletin,  or  from  the  Plattsburg  Commission's 
pamphlet,  "  The  Battle  of  Plattsburgh,  What  Historians 
Say  About  It." 

The  exercises  might  appropriately  be  opened  by  the 
singing  of  the  "  Star  Spangled  Banner,"  the  centennial 
of  whose  composition  by  Francis  Scott  Key,  during  the 
attack  on  Fort  McHenry,  occurs  on  September  I4th  of 
the  present  year.  A  working  bibliography  of  works 
relating  to  the  Battle  of  Plattsburg  will  be  found  in  the 
bulletin  and  undoubtedly  some  of  these  books  can  be 
found  in  the  school  library.  Reading  of  selections 
relating  to  this  period,  from  any  of  these  works,  is  also 
recommended. 

As  this  centenary  will  also  mark  the  completion  of  one 
hundred  years  of  peace  among  the  English-speaking 

83 


peoples  of  the  world,  it  is  suggested  that  the  schoolhouses 
be  trimmed  with  the  goldenrod,  our  own  State  flower, 
and  wreaths  of  maple  leaves,  Canada's  emblem,  thus 
symbolizing  the  unity  of  feeling  and  present  amity 
existing  between  the  elder  daughters  of  Great  Britain. 

Following  out  the  idea  of  President  Finley,  that  the 
schoolhouse  should  be  the  civic  and  social  center  of  the 
community,  if  some  speaker  in  each  locality  could  be 
induced  to  address  the  school  on  the  topic  of  the  day,  it 
would  lend  additional  interest  to  the  celebration. 

It  is  recommended  that  all  the  exercises  close  with  the 
hymn  "  America/'  whose  air  is  also  that  of  the  national 
anthem  of  Great  Britain,  making  it  especially  appropriate 
at  this  time. 

For  the  higher  grades,  academies  and  high  schools, 
practically  the  same  program  is  recommended  with  the 
addition  of  an  essay  or  oration,  by  some  of  the  older 
pupils,  based  upon  some  topic  suggested  by  the  bulletin, 
as  "  The  influence  exerted  by  the  local  victory  at  Platts- 
burg  upon  the  campaign  of  1814."  In  addition  to  the 
selection  for  reading  taken  from  the  bulletin,  or  the  one 
issued  by  the  commission,  any  of  the  ballads  contained 
in  this  publication  may  be  read;  or  Kipling's  "  Reces 
sional,"  especially  appropriate  this  year,  may  be  substi 
tuted,  or  any  other  suitable  poem  or  selection  which  may 
be  chosen  by  the  head  of  the  school.  There  should  be 
no  difficulty  in  securing  in  the  larger  towns  some  capable 
local  speaker  to  address  the  pupils  on  such  an  occasion 
as  this. 

For  those  schools  in  the  neighborhood  of  any  of  the 
battlegrounds  of  the  War  of  1812-14,  pilgrimages  to  such 
places  on  this  date  are  advised,  in  place  of  the  more 
formal  gatherings.  Such  excursions  may  be  arranged  as 
will  best  suit  the  needs  of  the  school. 

The  heads  of  schools  may  also  arrange  their  own 
observances  of  the  day,  by  taking  such  features  as  may 

84 


be  best  suited  for  their  particular  locality  from  the 
''  Manual  of  Patriotism,"  issued  for  the  schools  several 
years  ago,  or  the  "  Flag  Book  "  published  by  the  Educa 
tion  Department  in  1910. 

In  fact,  so  long  as  there  is  impressed  upon  the  minds 
of  the  pupils  of  this  State  that  this  date  commemorates 
the  birthday  of  a  new  freedom  for  our  country  and  that 
from  it  came  a  renaissance  of  patriotism,  a  renewal  of 
faith  in  ourselves,  and  an  enlargement  of  our  desires  and 
ambitions  in  the  way  of  higher  citizenship,  the  way  and 
manner  of  its  celebration  may  well  be  left  to  the  discre 
tion  of  those  persons  intimately  intrusted  with  the 
making  of  that  citizenship  which  is  to  come  after  us. 

In  the  War  of   1812 

Bright  as  a  bit  of  northern  sky 

Lake  Champlain's  clear  waters  lie; 

Steel-blue  the  lake  and  red  the  land 

Where  autumn  red  the  oak  trees  stand; 

Where  all  the  countryside's  aglow 

With  the  men  of  General  Sir  George  Prevost. 

Rough,  untaught  in  martial  drill 
Our  yeomen  had  the  hunter's  skill; 
Their  squirrel  rifles  contest  the  way  - 
Lem  Durkee's  rifle  was  hot  all  day. 

At  night  with  prisoners  two  he  came 

To  where  our  Yankee  camp  fires  flame: 

The  captains  questioned  how  'twas  done  — - 
"  How  were  two  thus  ta'en  by  one?" 

Answered  up  stout  farmer  Lem, 
"  My  masters,  I  surrounded  them." 

Francis  Sterne  Palmer 

The  foregoing  ballad  was  taken  from  an  old  scrapbook  by  Miss  M.  K.  Sperry  of 
Plattsburg,  and  furnished  to  this  Department.  It  was  written  by  Francis  Sterne  Palmer, 
and  originally  appeared  in  Leslie's  Weekly,  many  years  ago.  It  is  based  on  a  tradition 
that  one  Lem.  Durkee  fell  in  with  a  party  of  five  British  soldiers  and  surprised  them, 
compelling  them  to  surrender  before  his  leveled  musket.  Using  the  old  stratagem 
of  calling  on  imaginary  comrades  in  the  woods  to  help  him,  he  marched  the  soldiers 
into  camp  as  prisoners.  On  being  asked  how  he  had  accomplished  the  feat,  he  replied, 
"Why,  I  just  surrounded  them!" 

85 


The  Battle  of  Lake  Champlain 

[September  n,  1814] 

Parading  near  Saint  Peter's  flood 
Full  fourteen  thousand  soldiers  stood; 
Allied  with  natives  of  the  wood, 
With  frigates,  sloops,  and  galleys  near; 
Which  southward,  now,  began  to  steer; 
Their  object  was,  Ticonderogue. 

Assembled  at  Missisqui  bay 
A  feast  they  held,  to  hail  the  day, 
When  all  should  bend  to  British  sway 
From  Plattsburgh  to  Ticonderogue. 

And  who  could  tell,  if  reaching  there 
They  might  not  other  laurels  share 
And  England's  flag  in  triumph  bear 
To  the  capitol,  at  Albany! 

Sir  George  advanced,  with  fire  and  sword, 
The  frigates  were  with  vengeance  stored, 
The  strength  of  Mars  was  felt  on  board, 
When  Downie  gave  the  dreadful  word, 
Huzza!  for  death  or  victory! 

Sir  George  beheld  the  prize  at  stake, 
And,  with  his  veterans,  made  the  attack, 
Macomb's  brave  legions  drove  them  back; 
And  England's  fleet  approached,  to  meet 
A  desperate  combat,  on  the  lake. 

From  Isle  La  Motte  to  Saranac 
With  sulphurous  clouds  the  heavens  were  black; 
We  saw  advance  the  Confiance, 
Shall  blood  and  carnage  mark  her  rack, 
To  gain  dominion  on  the  lake  ? 

Then  on  our  ships  she  poured  her  flame, 
And  many  a  tar  did  kill  or  maim, 
Who  suffered  for  their  country's  fame, 

Her  soil  to  save,  her  rights  to  guard. 


86 


Macdonough,  now  began  his  play, 
And  soon  his  seamen  heard  him  say, 
"  No  Saratoga  yields,  this  day, 

To  all  the  force  that  Britain  sends." 

"  Disperse,  my  lads,  and  man  the  waist, 
Be  firm,  and  to  your  stations  haste, 
And  England  from  Champlain  is  chased, 
If  you  behave  as  you  see  me!" 

The  fire  began  with  awful  roar; 
At  our  first  flash  the  artillery  tore, 
From  his  proud  stand,  their  commodore, 
A  presage  of  the  victory. 

The  skies  were  hid  in  flame  and  smoke, 
Such  thunders  from  the  cannon  spoke, 
The  contest  such  an  aspect  took 
As  if  all  nature  went  to  wreck! 


Amidst  his  decks,  with  slaughter  strewed, 
Unmoved,  the  brave  Macdonough  stood, 
Or  waded  through  a  scene  of  blood, 

At  every  step  that  round  him  streamed 

He  stood  amidst  Columbia's  sons, 
He  stood  amidst  dismounted  guns, 
He  fought  amidst  heart-rending  groans, 
The  tattered  sail,  the  tottering  mast. 

Then,  round  about,  his  ship  he  wore, 
And  charged  his  guns  with  vengeance  sore, 
And  more  than  Etna  shook  the  shore  — 
The  foe  confessed  the  contest  vain. 

In  vain  they  fought,  in  vain  they  sailed, 
That  day;  for  Britain's  fortune  failed, 
And  their  best  efforts  naught  availed 
To  hold  dominion  on  Champlain. 


So,  down  their  colors  to  the  deck 

The  vanquished  struck  —  their  ships  a  wreck 

What  dismal  tidings  for  Quebec, 

What  news  for  England  and  her  prince! 

For,  in  this  fleet,  from  England  won, 
A  favorite  project  is  undone; 
Her  sorrows  only  are  begun  — 
And  she  may  want,  and  very  soon, 
Her  armies  for  her  own  defence. 

Philip  Freneau 
In  Poems  of  American  History,  edited  by  B.  E.  Stevenson. 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 


Mess  chest  and  captured  silver 
Left  by  British  officers  in  DeLord  house 


88 


The  locality  of  the  battle 


Reading   list 

on 

The    Battle  of    Plattsburg 

Starred  titles  indicate  material  specially  useful  in  school  work 

*Abbot,  Willis  John.     Battle  of  Lake  Champlain.     (In  his  Naval 

history  of   the  United    States.     N.  Y.   Dodd.   n.  d.     p.  454-64.) 

Also  in  his  Blue  jackets  of  1812. 
*Adams,   Henry.       Plattsburg.       (In    his    History    of    the    United 

States.     N.  Y.  Scribner,  1891.     8:91-119) 
Aldrich,  Lewis  Cass,  ed.     Plattsburg.     (In  the  History  of  Franklin 

and   Grand   Isle   counties,   Vt.     Syracuse,   N.   Y.     Mason,    1891. 

P-  147-53) 

Accounts  of  the  land   and   sea   battles,  mainly  from  reports  of  Macdonough  and 
Macomb. 

Alison,  Archibald.  Expedition  against  Plattsburg  in  1814.  (In  his 
History  of  Europe  from  .  .  .  1789  to  ...  1815.  N.  Y.  Harper, 
1843.  4v.  4:477-79) 

Though  old,  has  been  reprinted  and  is  still  one  of  the  most  quoted  accounts  (from 
English  side)  of  this  battle. 

Barnes,  James.  Battle  of  Lake  Champlain  1814.  (In  Hitchcock, 
Ripley,  ed.  Decisive  battles  of  America.  N.  Y.  Harper,  1909. 
P-  173-79) 

Good  description  of  the  battle  and  some  biographical  notes  on  Commodore  Mac 
donough. 

Naval  action  of  Plattsburg  Bay.     (In  his  Naval  actions  of 
the  War  of  1812.     N.  Y.  Harper,  1895.     p.  209-16) 

"  For  uncritical  readers  who  are  sufficiently  pleased  if  the  story  of  the  war  is  patri 
otically  told."     Lamed,  1713 

*Brady,  Cyrus  Townsend.  Macdonough  at  Lake  Champlain.  (In 
his  Revolutionary  fights  and  fighters:  stories  of  the  first  five  wars 
of  the  United  States  from  the  Revolution  to  the  Wa^  of  1812. 
N.  Y.  McClure,  1905.  p.  258-71) 

Correct  in  essentials,  dramatic,  American  without  being  anti-British;  particularly 
interesting  to  young  people. 

Christie,  Robert.     Battles  of  Plattsburg.     (In  his  Military  and  naval 
operations  in  the  Canadas.     Quebec,  1818.     p.  201-9) 
One  of  the  most  important  early  Canadian  accounts. 

*Clark,  Byron  N.  ed.     List  of  pensioners  of  the  War  of  1812.     Re 
search  Publishing  Co.  1904. 
Contains: 

List  of  pensioners  of  War  of  1812 

Volunteers  for  Plattsburg  from  Vermont  towns 

Accounts  of    the   battle  of  Plattsburg;  from   Northern    Sentinel,   September    13, 
1814,  and  Montreal  Herald,  September  17,  1814 

Extracts  from  general  orders  of  General  Alexander  Macomb  at  Plattsburg,  Sept 
ember   14,  1814 

Commodore  Macdonough's  official  reports 

Commodore    Macdonough's    record  of  the  force    and   loss  of  the  American   and 
British  fleets 

90 


Clark,  George  Ramsey;  Stevens,  W.  O.  &  others.     Battle  of  Platts- 
burg.     (In  their  Short  history  of  the  United  States  navy.     Phila. 
Lippincott,     1911.     p.   189-98) 
Comprehensive  account  of  battle  and  statement  of  its  cause  and  effects. 

Commemoration  of  the  battle  of  Plattsburgh.  26  p.  Wash.  1914. 
(63d  cong.  2d  sess.  Senate  report  471) 

Addresses  made  and  letters  presented  to  the  Senate  committee  on  library  at  the 
hearing  on  the  bill  to  erect  a  memorial  to  commemorate  the  centenary  of  the  battle. 
Copies  can  be  had  from  New  York  Senators  or  Congressmen. 

*Cooper,  James  Fenimore.     Battle  of  Lake  Champlain.     (In  Great 

epochs  in  American  history  .  .  .  ed.  by  F.  W.  Halsey.     N.  Y.  Funk, 

1912.      I  iv.     5:79-89) 

An  abbreviation  of  his  account  in  History  of  the  navy  of  the  United  States. 
*—  Battle  of  Plattsburg  Bay.     (In  his  History  of  the  navy  of 

the  United   States  of  America.     Lond.    Bentley,    1839.     2v.     2: 

491-516) 

Comprehensive  and  interesting  account  based  on  primary  and  secondary  sources 
and  interviews  with  participants.  Roosevelt,  however,  considers  Cooper  less  of  an 
authority  than  James. 

Plattsburg  Bay  battle.     (In  Putnam's  Magazine,  13:49) 
Crockett,  Walter  Hill.     Battle  of  Plattsburg.     (In  his  History  of 
Lake  Champlain.     Burlington,  Vt.  Shanley,   1909.     p.  265-89) 

Comprehensive  and  interesting  account  based  chiefly  on  Roosevelt's  chapter  in 

Naval  war  of  1812. 

Dawson,  Henry  B.     Second  invasion  of  New  York.     (In  his  Battles 
of  the  United  States  by  sea  and  land.     N.  Y.  Johnson,  1858.     2v. 
2:378-89) 
Good  account  of  both  battles,  identifying  local  places. 

Elson,  Henry  William.  Battle  of  Plattsburg.  (In  his  History  of 
the  United  States  of  America.  N.  Y.  Review  of  Reviews  Co. 
1905-  5v.  3:36-38) 

Short  but  comprehensive  and  temperate  account. 

*Hannay,   James.     Expedition   against   Plattsburg,    1814.     (In   his 
How  Canada  was  held  for  the  empire;  war  of  1812.     Lond.  Morang, 
1905.     p.  314-28) 
A  partisan  though  recent  and  prominent  Canadian  account. 

Hill,    Frederic    Stanhope.     Battle    of    Lake    Champlain.     (In    his 
Romance     of    the     American     navy.      N.    Y.      Putnam,     1910. 
p.  189-92) 
Brief  but  comprehensive  account. 

The  Saratoga.     (In  his  Twenty-six  historic  ships.     N.  Y. 
Putnam,  1903.     p.  257-60) 
Interesting  though  not  very  full  account  of  the  sea  battle. 

Hurd,  Duane  Hamilton.     Incidents  of  the  War  of  1812.     (In  his 
History  of  Clinton  and   Franklin  counties.     Phila.   Lewis,   1880. 
p.  154-56) 
"A  few  incidents  of  the  battle  of  Plattsburg  not  found  in  general  histories." 

James,  William.  Unfortunate  attack  upon  the  village  of  Plattsburg. 
(In  his  Full  and  correct  account  of  the  military  occurrences  of  the 

91 


late  war  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  of  America. 
Lond.  printed  for  the  author,  1818.     2v.     2:207-28,  461-69) 

"  In  spite  of  uncouth  style  and  bitterly  controversial  and  biased  tone,  James  still 
remains  standard  British  authority  on  this  subject  (War  of  1812)."  Lamed.  Litera 
ture  of  American  history,  1736 

Kimball,  Miriam  Irene.     Fleet  built.     (In  her  Vermont  for  young 
Vermonters.     N.  Y.  Appleton,  1909.     p.  238-43) 

A  textbook  but  interestingly  written  with  emphasis  on  some  points  not  usually 
made. 

Johnson,  Rossiter.     Second  invasion  of  New  York.     (In  his  History 
of  the  War  of  1812-15.     N.  Y.  Dodd,  1882.     p.  260-67) 

Account  of  invasion  and  engagement. 

*Land  and  naval  battles  at  Plattsburg.     (In  Records  of  the  gov 
ernor  and  council  of  the  state  of  Vermont;  ed.  by  E.  P.  Walton. 

Montpelier,  State  of  Vermont,  1878.     8v.     6:516-34,  537-38) 

Official  documents  on  the  battles  of  Plattsburg,  including  the  reports  of  Macdonough 
and  Macomb  and  correspondence  of  Governor  Chittenden  of  Vermont;  connected 
by  brief  narrative;  with  other  valuable  material  in  footnotes. 

Lossing,  Benson  John.     Battle  of  Plattsburg.     (In  his  Empire  state. 
Hartford,  Conn.  Amer.  Publishing  Co.  1888.     p.  427-31) 
Abbreviation  of  his  account  in  the  Pictorial  field-book  of  the  War  of  1812. 

*—  Battle  of  Plattsburg.     (In  his  Pictorial  field-book  of  the 

War  of  1812.     N.  Y.  Harper,  1869.     p.  854-84) 

One  of  the  most  valuable  popular  accounts;  full,  compiled  from  primary  as  well  as 
secondary  sources  and  from  personal  visit  to  Plattsburg,  by  a  recognized  historical 
writer;  copiously  illustrated.  An  abridgment  of  this  account  will  be  found  in  Har 
per's  magazine,  July  1864,  29:147-57 

*—  Battle  of  Plattsburg.     (In  his  Story  of  the  United  States 

navy  for  boys.     N.  Y.  Harper,  1881.     p.  215-21,  400-2) 

Short  but  interesting  account  of  the  battle.  Appendix  includes  Siege  of  Plattsburg 
and  Brother  Jonathan's  Epistle  to  John  Bull. 

Plattsburg,   Battles  at.     (In  Lossing,   B.  J.   ed.     Harper's 


B.  J. 

N.  Y. 


popular  cyclopedia  of  United  States  history.     N.  Y.  Harper,  1893. 

2V.  2: I I O6-8) 

An  abbreviation  of  his  account  in  the  Pictorial  field-book  of  the  War  of  1812;  a  good 
account,  illustrated. 

Is  also  found  in  Harper's  encyclopedia  of  United  States  history.     lov. 

*Lucas,  Charles  Prestwood.    Battle  of  Plattsburg.    (In  his  Canadian 
war  of  1812.     Oxford,  Clarendon  Press,  1906.     p.  197-212) 
One  of  the  best  and  fullest  Canadian  accounts. 

*Macdonough,  Rodney.  Commodore  Macdonough  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  1814.  (In  his  Life  of  Commodore  Thomas  Macdonough, 
United  States  Navy.  Boston,  Author,  1909.  p.  29-30,  134-217) 

A  very  full  account,  based  on  Commodore  Macdonough's  own  papers  (in  possession 
of  the  author),  other  primary  sources  and  the  most  important  secondary  sources. 
Includes  Commodore  Macdonough's  autobiographical  account,  and  many  extracts 
from  letters.  Appendixes  B-L  are  copies  of  important  source  documents  and  include: 

Macdonough's  report  of  battle,  including  reports  to  him  from  junior  officers,  together 
with  Secretary  of  Navy's  letter  transmitting  same  to  Congress,  October  3,  1814 

Henley's  letter  and  report  on  conduct  of  Brig  Eagle 

Yeo's  letter  to  the  admiralty,  September  24 

92 


pec 
W; 


Pring's  official  letter  to  Commodore  Yeo,  September  12 

Charges  preferred  against  Prevost 

Lea  to  his  brother,  September  21 

Cochran  and  Colden  letters  and  Macdonough's  answers,  concerning  range  of  shore 
batteries 

Congressional  resolution  expressive  of  gratitude  to  Macdonough  and  his  men. 
October  20 

*Maclay,  Edgar  Stanton.     Battle  of  Plattsburg.     (In  his  History  of 
the   United    States    navy.     N.    Y.    Appleton,    1893-98.      2v.     i: 
603-15) 
A  comprehensive  and  temperate  account. 

McMaster,  John  Bach.  Lake  Champlain.  (In  his  History  of  the 
•eople  of  the  United  States  from  the  Revolution  to  the  Civil 
~Tar.  N.  Y.  Appleton,  1911.  8v.  4:63-68) 

Good  explanation  of  general  situation  and  spirited  account  of  engagement  on  the 
water.  McMaster  estimates  the  fight  in  Plattsburg  Bay  as  "  the  greatest  naval  battle 
of  the  war." 

*Mahan,  Alfred  Thayer.     Lake  Champlain.     (In  his  Sea  power  in 
its    relation    to   the   War   of    1812.      Boston,    Little,    1905.      2v. 
P-  355-82) 
One  of  the  best  accounts  of  this  action;  impartial,  full,  and  by  one  of  the  foremost 

naval  historians  and   critics  who  has  used  both  English  and  American  sources.     An 

abridgment    of    this    account    will    be    found    in    Scribner's     magazine,    Jan.    1905, 

37:111-115. 

Meade,  Mrs  Rebecca  (Paulding).     Early  service  on  the  lakes.     (In 
her  Life  of  Hiram  Paulding.     N.  Y.  Baker,  1910.     p.  9-13) 
Tells  of  midshipman  Paulding's  ingenuity  in  the  battle. 

Morris,  Charles.     Thomas  Macdonough  and  the  winning  of  Lake 
Champlain.      (In    his    Heroes    of   the    navy    in    America.     Phila. 
Lippincott,  1907.     p.  226-38) 
Contains  anecdotes  from  Macdonough's  life  and  a  popular  account  of  the  battle. 

New  York  State  Plattsburg  Centenary  Commission,  comp.  The 
battle  of  Plattsburg:  what  historians  say  about  it.  Albany, 
Lyon,  1914. 

Long  extracts  from  accounts  by  Roosevelt,  Palmer,  McMaster,  Lossing,  Mahan 
and  from  official  documents;  also  an  outline  of  the  plans  for  the  centennial  celebration. 

New  York  (State).  Governor.  Public  papers  of  Daniel  D. 
Tompkins,  governor  of  New  York.  1807-1817.  Military,  v.  1-3. 

N.  Y.  1898-1902. 

Contains: 

Hastings,  Hugh.     Lake  Champlain.       1:93-96 
Public  papers.     (See  index) 

Niles'  Weekly  Register.     Baltimore,     v.  7-8. 

Frequent  references  to  the  battle,  the  events  immediately  preceding  and  following 
it.  This  is  the  best  contemporary  news  periodical. 

*Palmer,  Peter  Sailly.  Battle  of  Plattsburg.  (In  his  History  of 
Lake  Champlain  .  .  .  1609-1814.  Plattsburg,  Tuttle,  1853. 

p.  185-223) 

Comprehensive  and  interesting  account  by  a  Plattsburg  man,  paying  much  attention 
to  detail  and  local  associations;  a  valuable  addition  to  literature  of  the  battle. 


93 


Perkins,  Samuel.  Plattsburg.  (In  his  History  of  the  political  and 
military  events  of  the  late  war  between  the  United  States  and 
Great  Britain.  New  Haven,  1825.  p.  389-97) 

Larned  (Literature  of  American  history,  1745)  says  this  is  "  one  of  the  best  histories 
of  the  War  of  1812."  The  account  of  this  battle  is  full. 

Redway,  Jaques  Wardlaw.     Lieutenant  Macdonough  and  the  battle 
of  Lake  Champlain.     (In  his  Making  of  the  Empire  State.     N.  Y. 
Silver,  1904.     p.  174-78) 
An  account  for  young  people. 

Robinson,  Rowland  E.     Battle  of  Plattsburg.     (In  his  Vermont:  a 
study  of  independence.     Boston,  Houghton,  1899.     P-  283-89) 
A  good  account  of  the  battle  and  of  Vermont's  share  in  it. 

*Ropsevelt,  Theodore.  Battle  of  Lake  Champlain.  (In  Clowes, 
Sir  William  Laird  &  others.  Royal  navy;  a  history  from  the 
earliest  times  to  the  present.  London,  Low,  1899-1903.  yv. 
6: 130-42) 

Interesting,  full  and  less  disputatious  than  his  account  in  Naval  war  of  1812. 

Champlain.     (In  his  Naval  war  of  1812.     N.  Y.  Putnam, 

1898.     p.  375-99) 

Too  much  space  is  given  to  confutation  of  James's  estimate  of  the  forces  engaged; 
but  the  account  of  the  battle  is  spirited  and  comprehensive.  Bibliographical  footnotes 
are  given. 

Royce,   Mrs   Caroline   Halstead    (Barton).     Battle   of    Plattsburg. 
(In    her  Bessboro:  a  history  of   Westport,  Essex  county,  N.  Y. 
Elizabethtown,  N.  Y.     Author,  1904.     p.  255-80) 
A  particularly  interesting  account,  full  of  local  references. 

*Seawell,  Molly  Ell'ot.  Battle  of  Lake  Champlain.  (In  her  Mid 
shipman  Paulding.  N.  Y.  Appleton,  1897.  p.  102-33) 

Good  historical  fiction. 

Soley,  James  Russell.  Battle  of  Plattsburg.  (In  Winsor,  Justin, 
ed.  Narrative  and  critical  history  of  America.  Boston,  Houghton, 

1889.     8v.     7:396-400) 
Brief  description  of  the  engagement. 

*Spears,  John  Randolph.  Battle  of  Plattsburg.  (In  his  History  of 
our  navy.  N.  Y.  Scribner,  1897.  4v.  3:132-85) 

Comprehensive,  though  rather  diffuse,  account  of  the  battle,  its  preliminaries  and 
consequences;  a  popular,  distinctly  American,  though  not  unfair,  account. 

On  Lake  Champlain.     (In  his  History  of  the  United  States 
navy.     N.  Y.  Scribner,  1908.     p.  144-54) 
An  abbreviation  of  his  account  in  History  of  our  navy. 

*Stevenson,  Burton  Egbert,  comp.  Plattsburg.  (In  his  Poems  of 
American  history.  Boston,  Houghton,  1908.  p.  312-15) 

Short  paragraph  on  the  battle  and  the  following  poems:  Battle  of  Lake  Champlain ; 
Battle  of  Plattsburg  Bay;  Battle  of  Plattsburg. 

*Tomlinson,  Everett  Titsworth.  Battle  of  Plattsburg.  (In  his 
Young  minute-man  of  1812.  Boston,  Houghton,  1912.  p.  312-34) 

Fiction  based  on  good  historical  accounts  (particularly  Palmer's  History  of  Lake 
Champlain). 

94 


Tuttle,  (Mrs.)  George  Fuller,  ed.     The  Battle  of  Plattsburgh.     (In 

her  Three  Centuries  in  Champlain  valley.     Plattsburgh,  N.  Y., 

Saranac  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  1909.     p.  292-94.) 
*Tuttle,  J.  E.     Battle  of  Lake  Champlain;  story  of  an  eyewitness; 

retold   by  J.   E.  Tuttle.     (In  the  Outlook.     November  2,   1901. 

P-  573-77) 

Witness  was  a  boy  of  twelve  or  thirteen  on  farm  overlooking  the  bay,  and  visited 
the  fleet  after  the  battle. 

Wilbur,  La  Fayette.     Battle  of  Plattsburg.     (In  his  Early  history  of 
Vermont.     Jericho,  Vt.  Wilbur,  1902.     4v.     p.  256-83) 
Accounts  of  both  battles,  bringing  out  the  action  of  the  Vermont  volunteers. 

Poems  and  Broad-sides 

Historical  interest  is  the  basis  of  inclusion. 

Battle  of  Plattsburg.  Tune,  Banks  of  the  Dee,  With  Siege  of  Platts 
burg,  sung  in  the  character  of  a  black  sailor,  tune,  Boyne-water. 
Broadside.  Boston,  Coverly,  1814. 

Also  in  Star  song  book,  N.  Y.  n.  d.  p.  6,  and  Plattsburg  Republican,  January  28 
1815. 
Begins: 

'Twas  autumn,  around  me  the  leaves  were  descending  and 
lonely  the  wood-pecker  pecked  on  the  tree 

Battle  of  Plattsburgh.  (In  Stevenson,  B.  E.  Poems  of  American 
history.  1908.  p.  314) 

See  also  Plattsburgh  broad-side,  Windsor,  Vt.     1815.     In  New  York  State  Library. 
Begins: 

Sir  George  Prevost  with  all  his  host 

March'd  forth  from  Montreal,  sir, 

Both  he  and  they  as  blithe  and  gay 

As  going  to  a  ball,  sir. 

Brother  Jonathan's  epistle  to  John  Bull,  1814.  (In  Lossing,  B.  J. 
Story  of  the  United  States  navy  for  boys.  N.  Y.  Harper,  1881. 
p.  401) 

Begins: 

O  Johnny  Bull,  my  jo,  John,  I  wonder  what  you  mean? 

Are  you  on  foreign  conquests  bent,  or  what  ambitious  scheme? 

Commodore  Macdonough's  victory  (on  Plattsburgh  broadside, 
Windsor,  Vt.  1815.  In  New  York  State  Library) 

Begins: 

O  freemen  raise  a  joyous  strain 

Aloft  the  eagle  towers 
"  We've  met  the  enemy  "  again 

Again  have  made  them  "  Ours." 
Broadside  reproduced  on  page  90 

Freneau,  Philip.     Battle  of  Lake  Champlain.     (In  Stevenson,  B.  E. 
Poems  of  American  history.     1908.     p.  312) 
Appears  in  full  on  pages  86-88 

Hawkins,  Micajah.     Siege  of  Plattsburg. 

Appears  in  full  on  page  39 
Can  be  found  in: 

Lossing,  B.  J.  Pictorial  field-book  of  the  War  of  1812,  p.  876,  and  on  an  interesting 
contemporary  broadside  in  the  New  York  State  Library  entitled  "  Back  side  Albany." 
Reproduced  on  page  43 

95 


Noble  lads  of  Canada.     (Broadside.      Boston.     Deming.     n.  d.     In 
New  York  State  Library) 

Begins: 

Come  all  you  British  heroes,  I  pra\'  you  lend  an  ear, 
Draw  up  your  British  forces,  and  then  your  volunteers; 
We're  going  to  fight  the  Yankee  boys,  by  water  and  by  land, 
And  we  never  will  return  until  we  conquer  sword  in  hand. 
We're  the  noble  lads  of  Canada,  come  to  arms  boys,  come. 

Of  considerable  contemporary  popularity  and  frequently  reprinted. 

On    board    the  Saratoga;    written    by  a   man  who  served  on  the 
Saratoga. 

Appears  in  full  on  pages  68-69 

Copied  in  Wilbur's  Early  history  of  Vermont,  3  .-283 ;  also  in  Records  of  the  governor 
and  council  of  the  state  of  Vermont,  6:527. 

Scollard,  Clinton.     The  Battle  of  Plattsburg  Bay.     (In  Stevenson, 
Poems  of  American  history.      1908.     p.  313) 
Appears  in  full  on  pages  52-53 

Wright,  N.  H.     Song  of  Macdonough.     (In  Historical  magazine,  12: 

245) 
Begins: 

The  banner  of  freedom  triumphantly  waving 

Displayed  in  bright  colors  the  stripe  and  the  star, 

While  the  light-curling  billows  the  warships  were  laving, 

And  the  foeman  was  seen  on  the  water  afar. 


Photo  by  Mrs  Trumbull 


Mantel  in  General  Macomb's 
headquarters,  afterwards  home 
of  General  Benjamin  Mooers 

96 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The  drawings  for  the  cover  designs,  and  the  emblematical  tailpiece, 
were  made  by  Royal  B.  Farnum  of  The  University  of  the  State 
of  New  York. 

The  bibliography  was  prepared  by  Lucretia  Vaile  of  the  State 
Library  School. 

The  Macdonough  electrotypes  used  on  the  cover  page,  and  the 
maps  on  pages  38  and  70  are  from  Lossing's  War  of  1812,  through 
courtesy  of  Harper  and  Brothers. 

The  engravings  for  frontispiece,  and  plate  on  page  26  were  loaned 
by  J.  B.  Lyon  Co. 

The  ballad  by  Philip  Freneau,  and  poem  by  Clinton  Scollard,  were 
used  by  permission  of  Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  B.  E.  Stevenson, 
and  Professor  Scollard. 

To  Mrs  George  F.  Tuttle  of  Plattsburg  for  plate  of  General  Mooers, 
Hon.  Howard  D.  Hadley  for  local  photographs,  the  Macomb  family 
of  Philadelphia  for  photographs  of  sword  and  cup,  and  the  Mac- 
millan.  Company  and  R.  W.  Neeser  for  bibliographical  material 
are  thanks  due. 


97 


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